Pope Francis voiced his objection to the "Mother of All Bombs" nickname given to the United States' largest non-nuclear weapon. Speaking to an audience of students in the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis said that he was "ashamed" when he heard the name of the weapon.
Mothers, after all, said the Bishop of Rome, create life and bring it into the world, whereas this device kills people. His words drew applause from the crowd.
The United States dropped the so-called "Mother of All Bombs" last month on a network of ISIS tunnels in Afghanistan following the death of a Green Beret. At least 30, and as many as 94, people were killed in the blast. The majority of the deaths were ISIS fighters.
Pope Francis has a point, and there's something to be said about referring to a device that's designed to kill as many people as possible as the "Mother of All Bombs." He's right--it's a pretty terrible name. There are plenty of more appropriate nicknames for this sort of weapon. Mothers should be revered, and something that's designed to take lives shouldn't be referred to as a mother, ever.