Pope Francis on Saturday criticized the naming of the U.S. military’s biggest non-nuclear explosive as “the Mother of All Bombs”, saying the word “mother” should not be used in reference to a deadly weapon. .
The U.S. Air Force dropped such a bomb, officially designated as the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on suspected Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan last month. .
The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack. “I was ashamed when I heard the name,” Pope Francis told an audience of students on Saturday. .
“A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?” Pope Francis is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on May 24 in a potentially awkward encounter given their opposing positions on immigration, refugees and climate change.