Pope Francis speaks out on tense U.S. - North Korea relations as hostility continues to escalate

'I always appeal for a solution through diplomatic means.'

Following Pope Francis' safe visit to Egypt this weekend, the Pope took questions aboard the papal plane.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to the transcript, the Pontiff was asked several questions concerning his meetings with President Khalil al-Sisi, human rights, discernment for Catholic electors and U.S.-North Korean relations.

The Pope took each question to heart and answered with passion, particularly when he spoke of the bitter relations between the United States and North Korea.

Aboard the papal plane, Phil Pulella, a Reuters journalist, asked: "You spoke yesterday in your first speech about the danger of unilateral action, and that everyone must be builders of peace. Now you have spoken very clearly about the 'third world war in pieces,' but it seems that today this fear and anxiety is concentrated on what is happening in North Korea..."

Pope Francis quickly responded, "Yes, it's the focal point!"

Pulella stated: "Exactly, it's the point of concentration. President Trump sent a team of military ships to the coast of North Korea, the leader of North Korea threatened to bomb South Korea, Japan and even the United States if they succeed in building long-range missiles.

"People are afraid and speak of the possibility of a nuclear war as if it were nothing. You, if you see President Trump, but also other people, what will you say to these leaders who are responsible for the future of humanity? Because we are in a very critical moment..."

Pope Francis said he would "call them, I call them and I will call them like I called on leaders in different positions to work on resolving problems along the path of diplomacy, and there are facilitators, many of them, in the world.

"There are mediators who offer...there are countries like Norway, for example, no one can accuse Norway of being a dictatorial country, and it's always ready to help, to name an example, but there are many.

"The path is the path of negotiation, the path of diplomatic solutions. This world war in pieces of which I've been talking about for two years more or less, it's in pieces, but the pieces have gotten bigger, they are concentrated, they are focused on points that are already hot."

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile Friday, which failed.

Pope Francis continued, saying: "Things are already hot, as the issue of missiles in North Korea has been there for more than a year, now it seems that the thing has gotten too hot.

"I always say to resolve problems on the path of diplomacy, negotiation, because the future of humanity...today a widespread war destroys I don't say half of humanity, but a good part of humanity, and it's the culture, everything.

"It's terrible. I think that today humanity is not able to support it. Let's look to these countries that are suffering an internal war, inside, where there are fires of war, in the Middle East for example, but also in Africa, in Yemen.

"Let's stop! Let's look for a diplomatic solution! And there I believe that the United Nations has the duty to resume their leadership, because it's been watered down a bit."

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