Pope Urges Nations to Resolve Issues Through Diplomacy to Avert Devastating War
Pope Francis urged the United States and North Korea to resolve tensions through diplomacy in order to prevent an all-out nuclear war that could destroy the world. He also believes a third party should try to mediate the dispute to defuse the increasingly tense standoff between the two countries.
Speaking on board the papal plane on his way back from his two-day visit to Egypt, the pontiff said there is a need for negotiations which aims to find a diplomatic solution. "I always say to resolve problems on the path of diplomacy, negotiation," Catholic News Agency quoted him as saying.
The Holy Father believes the United Nations (U.N.) has the duty to resume its leadership because it's been watered down a bit. He also called on all leaders to work together in finding a solution to problems through the path of diplomacy.
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Pope Francis spoke hours after North Korea test-fired a mid-range ballistic missile in defiance of a U.N. ban. The test was considered a failure after the missile exploded within seconds of being launched. The country also conducted large-scale, live-fire exercises on its eastern coast.
"Things are already hot, as the issue of missiles in North Korea has been there for more than a year, now it seems that the thing has gotten too hot," Pope Francis said in his half-hour dialogue with reporters. He called on other parties to pacify the U.S. and North Korea if the U.N. cannot assume its diplomatic responsibility.
According to him, there are many mediators in the world, like Norway, which secretly negotiated an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians known as the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s.
The pope expressed that he fears what might happen should a full-scale war break out between the U.S. and North Korea."Today, a widespread war would destroy -- I would not say half of humanity -- but a good part of humanity, and of culture," he said. "It would be terrible. I don't think that humanity today would be able to withstand it," the pope added.
