Pope: Islam, Christianity Have "Idea of Conquest;" Seeks More Islam Tolerance in European Societies

In an interview with the French Catholic newspaper La Croix published this week, Pope Francis suggested it was not productive to view Islam as a threat and pointed to its shared roots with Christianity, the Washington Post website reports today (May 18, 2016).

"It is true the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam," the pope said. "However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest."

During the past year, Francis has placed himself at the center of political conversations roiling the West, championing the plight of refugees while calling for more tolerance within European societies.

In April, the pope journeyed to the Greek island of Lesbos and visited a migrant detention center. Upon returning to the Vatican, he brought home with him a dozen Syrian Muslim refugees.