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Pope condemns Brussels attackers, arms makers at Holy Thursday rite

By REUTERS

MARCH 24, 2016 19:51

ROME, March 24 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, and condemned arms makers as partly responsible for Islamist militant attacks that killed at least 31 people in Brussels.

He made his comments at a traditional pre-Easter ritual where he washes and kisses the feet of 12 people, 11 of whom were refugees this year, to commemorate Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles on the night before he died.

"All of us together, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Copts, Evangelicals, but brothers, children of the same God, who want to live in peace, integrated," he said in unscripted comments at a shelter north of Rome that houses refugees seeking political asylum.

"Three days ago, there was a gesture of war, of destruction, in a city of Europe by people who don't want to live in peace," he said.

"Behind that gesture there were arms manufacturers, arms traffickers, who want blood, not peace, who want war, not brotherhood," he said.

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