Vatican City • Pope Francis blamed Europe and the United States for the deaths of children in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, saying Saturday that wealthy Western countries fuel conflicts by selling weapons in war zones.
Speaking to students and teachers of Milan’s San Carlo Institute, Francis said the reason there are so many wars around the world is “the rich Europe and America sell weapons ... used to kill children and kill people.”
Without such firepower, the pope added, there wouldn’t have been war in countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria.
“A country that produces and sells weapons has on its conscience,” Francis said, “the death of every child and the destruction of each family.