One can always hope for miracles – especially when it involves someone as committed as the Pope.

Since writing this article the Pope has become more strident in his approach to Islamic State during his current visit to Turkey.

“Francis sought to offer a balanced message as he met with Turkish political and religious officials at the start of his second trip to the Middle East this year. He reaffirmed that military force was justified to halt the Islamic State group’s advance, and called for greater dialogue between Christians, Muslims and people of all faiths to end fundamentalism.

“As religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against human dignity and human rights,” Francis told Mehmet Gormez, Turkey’s top cleric and other religious officials gathered at the government-run Religious Affairs Directorate. “As such, any violence which seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the omnipotent is the God of life and peace.”

Francis condemned the “barbaric violence” by IS against Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities and the destruction of their places of worship.

http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/pope-in-turkey-urges-more-muslim-opposition-to-islamic-state-1.316395