Pope Francis has said the world is pretty much in the grips of its third world war. The Roman Catholic leader said all the conflicts being fought around the world pretty much meant there is a third world war. Speaking at a war memorial in Italy, the Pope said: "War is madness. Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war." He added: "War is irrational. Its only plan is to bring destruction. It seeks to grow by destroying." He said the motives behind countries going to war were greed, intolerance and the "lust for power".

Pope Francis has made repeated appeals for an end to the world's conflicts. He has focused on Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and parts of Africa. Despite his anti-war position, he said force would be legitimate to stop "unjust aggression" by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He asked people to have a "conversion of heart" and stop putting selfish aims above those of humanity. Francis compared the loss of life in WWI to what is happening today. He said that for all the victims of "mindless wars" and "senseless massacres," in every age, "humanity needs to weep, and this is the time to weep".