Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church would not take up arms to defend itself but that it would have to protect itself. ADVERTISEMENT “A Christian that carries a weapon, like the one that carries the cross, has denied Jesus Christ,” he said at a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday. “We don’t need to do this. We are not obliged to do this.” Francis had suggested earlier this year that Catholic priests should be allowed to carry guns to defend themselves. He noted that the world is an increasingly complex place and that many places where the Church’s missionary work is done “have become war zones.” “When I see priests taking up a cross and defending themselves, I get upset,” he said. “We are forced to do this. We are forced, we have to be prepared, to be able to do this.” Catholic priests have shot and killed themselves, and Catholic churches have been attacked in recent months, including in Sri Lanka. Watch video, uploaded to YouTube by The Catholic Information Society of Ireland, below: ADVERTISEMENT [Image: Pope Francis via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons licensed]