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Pope Francis Urges U.S. and North Korea to Step Away from the Brink - The New York Times

posted onApril 30, 2017
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Article snippet: ROME — North Korea on Saturday to defuse their increasingly tense standoff and avert a potentially horrific conflict. “I call on them, and I will call on them, as I have on leaders of different places, to work to resolve their problems through diplomatic avenues,” Pope Francis said, speaking aboard his plane as he returned to Rome from a trip to Egypt. Noting that North Korea’s missile program was not a new concern, he added that “things have gotten too hot” and suggested that “the United Nations has the duty to reassume, a little, its leadership because it’s been watered down.” During a 30-minute news conference on his plane, Francis, steadying himself through rough turbulence, touched on a number of topics. He said he still had not received a request for a meeting with President Trump; he defended his appearance with the authoritarian president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; and he again called refugee camps in Europe “concentration camps.” Francis partly deflected a question about how he would advise French Catholics taking part in next month’s presidential election, especially with Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate with an anti-immigrant platform, on the ballot. The pope said he did not know enough about French politics to respond, but, he said, “Europe is in danger of breaking apart, this is true.” He noted that the migrant crisis fueled fears that destabilized the Continent, “but we mustn’t forget that Europe is made by immigrants.” “Centuries and centu... Link to the full article to read more

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