The Pope Likens the Spread of ISIS to Jesus’ Spreading 

Christianity

Pope Francis says Islam and Christianity both share the "idea of conquest," but appears to reject a link between radical Islamic extremism in Europe and Islam itself, reports say.

In the wide-ranging interview with the French Catholic newspaper La Croix, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church didn't shy shy away from challenging the church to engage with Islam, celebrating Sadiq Khan's election as London's mayor, Christianity Today reports.
"Today, I don't think that there is a fear of Islam as such but of ISIS and its war of conquest, which is partly drawn from Islam," the Pope said, Religion News Service reports. 

"It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam. However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest."

The Pope added that "in the face of Islamic terrorism, it would therefore be better to question ourselves about the way an overly Western model of democracy has been exported to countries such as Iraq, where a strong government previously existed. Or in Libya, where a tribal structure exists. We cannot advance without taking these cultures into account."

Francis also hailed Khan's election as mayor in London, saying a Muslim mayor illustrates how integration of migrants in Europe can be done.

"The worst form of welcome is to 'ghettoize' them," the Pope said, Christianity Today reports. "On the contrary, it's necessary to integrate them. In Brussels, the terrorists were Belgians, children of migrants, but they grew up in a ghetto."

"In London, the new mayor took his oath of office in a cathedral and will undoubtedly meet the queen. This illustrates the need for Europe to rediscover its capacity to integrate."

According to The Guardian, when Francis was asked why he never referred to Europe's roots as Christian, he replied that he "sometimes dread the tone, which can seem triumphalist or even vengeful."

"It then takes on colonialist overtones," he said, adding Christianity's contribution was one of service — of "Christ in the washing of the feet" — and not a "colonial enterprise."