This Article is From May 07, 2017

'Mother' Shouldn't Be Used To Describe A Bomb: Pope On US Explosive

Pope Francis disapproved the name of the US bomb termed "Mother of All Bombs", saying it is wrong to associate motherhood with destruction.

'Mother' Shouldn't Be Used To Describe A Bomb: Pope On US Explosive

Pope has criticised naming of US military's biggest non-nuclear explosive as "Mother of All Bombs"

Milan: Pope Francis on Saturday criticised the naming of the US military's biggest non-nuclear explosive as "the Mother of All Bombs", saying the word "mother" should not be used in reference to a deadly weapon.

The US Air Force dropped such a bomb, officially designated as the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on suspected ISIS fighters in eastern Afghanistan last month. The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack.

"I was ashamed when I heard the name," Pope Francis told an audience of students on Saturday. "A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?"

Pope Francis is set to meet US President Donald Trump on May 24 in a potentially awkward encounter given their opposing positions on immigration, refugees and climate change.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
© Thomson Reuters 2017
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