Was Pope Francis prophesying that World War III was in the making?
Pope Francis’ first greeting
He said September Pope Francis said that current conflicts taking place around the world amount to a “piecemeal” Third World War.
He also condemned the arms trade and “plotters of terrorism”.
“Humanity needs to weep and this is the time to weep,” said the Pope in his homily during a visit to Italy’s largest war memorial at Redipuglia cemetery in the north of the country, where more than 100,000 soldiers who died in World War One are buried.
“Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war, one fought piecemeal, with crimes, massacres, destruction,” the Pope continued.
The Pope’s began his day by first praying at another, nearby cemetery for more than 15,000 soldiers from five nations of the Austro-Hungarian empire who died in the Great War.
In the past few months, Francis has called for an end to conflicts in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, and Gaza.
He had earlier said it would be “licit” for the for the international community to use force to stop “unjust aggression” by ISIS militants.
Now the Associated Press reports from Moscow:
In a show of military muscle amid tensions with the West, Russia will send long-range strategic bombers on regular patrol missions across the globe, from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, a top official said Wednesday.
The announcement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came as NATO’s chief accused Russia of sending fresh troops and tanks into eastern Ukraine.
“Over the last few days, we have seen multiple reports of large convoys moving into Eastern Ukraine,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. “We assess that this significant military buildup includes Russian artillery, tanks, air defense systems and troops. His statement called the situation a “severe threat to the cease-fire.”
Moscow denied the allegation as unfounded, but Shoigu also said the dispute with the West over Ukraine would require Russia to beef up its forces in the Crimea, the Black Sea Peninsula that Russia annexed in March.
Shoigu said Russian long-range bombers will conduct flights along Russian borders and over the Arctic Ocean. He said, “In the current situation we have to maintain military presence in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, as well as the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.”
Shoigu would not say how frequent the patrol missions would be or offer any other specifics.
He said the Russian air force’s long-range planes also will conduct “reconnaissance missions to monitor foreign powers’ military activities and maritime communications.”
A senior U.S. military official said Russia has not previously flown actual bomber patrols over the Gulf of Mexico, including during the Cold War.
