Pope Francis called for peace in Egypt during his Sunday address in St. Peter's Square with a prayer: “we continue to pray for peace in Egypt together, Mary Queen of Peace pray for us”
The Catholic leader also took the opportunity to condemn those who would resort to violence in the name of faith. The pope focused on a passage of scripture that has, in the pontiff's words, "lead to confusion or misunderstanding."
The Christian text is Luke 12:51, which reads, "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!"
Pope Francis explained that the passage was intended to encourage Christians to place God in the center of their life and not just as a decoration. The Catholic leader explained that Jesus does not want division, but God does lay down the choice that you can live for yourself or live for God.
Vatican Radio reported on Pope Francis' interpretation:
So, said the Pope, “the word of the Gospel does not authorize the use of force to spread the faith. It is 'just the opposite: the true strength of the Christian is the power of truth and love, which leads to the renunciation of all violence.' Faith and violence are incompatible".
Francis' words are in line with the Dalai Lama, who has also decried violence in the name of the religion. When speaking of the attacks on Muslims by Buddhists in Myanmar, the the Buddhist leader said, "Really, killing people in the name of religion is unthinkable, very sad."