'Stop killing in the name of God', Pontiff pleads

Pope Francis is speaking out against religious violence, which is steadily increasing, at an alarming rate, all over the world.

During a recent visit to Azerbaijan, an Asian country, dominated by Muslims, he pleaded with all humans to renounce religious violence, ChristianToday reports.

Speaking to Muslims, Christians and Jews at a Mosque, the pope said: "From this highly symbolic place, a heartfelt cry rises up once again: no more violence in the name of God! May his most holy name be adored, not profaned or bartered as a commodity through forms of hatred and human opposition.

God cannot be used for personal interests and selfish ends; he cannot be used to justify any form of fundamentalism, imperialism or colonialism."

In previous times, the Catholic leader has been open with his thoughts on killings in the name of religion.

He has also refused to condemn Muslims, despite the numerous killings of Christians by ISIS.

"I don't think it is right to equate Islam with violence.

In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too.

If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics", he told journalists.

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This kind of talk, described as "deceptive veil of good will", resulted in him being named as the number one enemy of ISIS.