Pope Francis Responds To Syrian War In ‘Urbi Et Orbi’ Easter Message

Easter is the most holy holiday in the Catholic religion, but Pope Francis took a moment during his “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) message to condemn the bus bombing in Syria Saturday, which left at least 126 people death. Nearly 70 of them were children.

Pope Francis slammed the attack in his Easter address, saying the bombing was a “vile attack on fleeing refugee.”

READ: What Does Pope Francis Believe In? Exorcism Encouraged If Necessary

“May [God] sustain the efforts of those who are actively working to bring comfort and relief to the civilian population in beloved Syria, who are greatly suffering from a war that does not cease to sow horror and death,” he said Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

The pope prayed God would help in the innocent civilians in Syria who are “prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death.”

Last month, the pope asked priests to call upon exorcists to assist those that could be experiencing “real spiritual disorders,” the AFP reported March 17. The notion was shocking to some since The Vatican created a new rule which urged priests discern the difference between mental illness and demonic possession in in 1999.

“Discernment is necessary also because those who approach the confessional may come from the most desperate situations,” the pope said. “When the confessor becomes aware of the presence of genuine spiritual disturbances – that may be in large part psychic, and therefore must be confirmed by means of healthy collaboration with the human sciences – he must not hesitate to refer the issue to those who, in the diocese, are charged with this delicate and necessary ministry, namely, exorcists.”

There are training classes available at The Vatican for potential exorcists, according to AFP. “The existence of the devil isn’t an option, something to take or leave as you wish,” Vatican official, Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez, said in 1999.

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