By Staff, Agencies

Pope Francis suggested that World War III is already in progress, as evidenced by “intertwined elements” at work in the Russia-Ukraine crisis and other conflicts across the globe.

“A few years ago, it occurred to me to say that we are experiencing a third world war fought piecemeal,” the head of the Catholic Church said in a May 19 interview with Jesuit media outlets that was published on Tuesday. “Today, for me, World War III has been declared.”

Francis noted that while the fighting in Ukraine “pricks our sensibilities more,” wars also are ongoing in such places as northern Nigeria and Myanmar, “and nobody cares.” He added, “The world is at war. This is something that should give us pause for thought.”

The pontiff reiterated his concern, first made public in an interview last month, that NATO may have instigated Moscow’s military offensive against Kiev. He recalled a conversation with a head of state, whom he identified only as “a wise man,” a couple of months before the fighting began. “He told me that he was very concerned about the way NATO was acting. I asked him why, and he said, ‘They are barking at the gates of Russia, and they don't understand that the Russians are imperial and they will not allow any foreign power to approach them.’”