Pope criticises U.S. for using ‘mother’ to describe bomb

Pope Francis has criticized the naming of the U.S. military’s biggest non-nuclear explosive as “Mother of All Bombs”, saying the word “mother” should not be used in reference to any deadly weapon.

The Pope said he was ashamed when he heard the name of the U.S. most destructive non- nuclear bomb, reports said.

Pope Francis told an audience of students on Saturday that: “I was ashamed when I heard the name.

“A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?”

The U.S. Air Force dropped one of the bombs, officially designated as the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on suspected Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan in April.

The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack.

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

(NAN)