Pope Francis said Wednesday that the doors of Catholic churches around the world must remain open, despite increased security fears in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.

“Please, no armoured doors in the Church, everything open,” the 78-year-old pontiff told pilgrims in St. Peter’s square, Italy’s AGI news agency reported.

“There are places in the world where doors should not be locked with a key. There are still some but there are also many where armoured doors have become the norm.

“We must not surrender to the idea that we must apply this way of thinking to every aspect of our lives,...” Pope Francis said.

“To do so to the Church would be terrible.”

The Pope did not explicitly refer to last week’s attacks on Paris, which he has condemned as “inhuman”.

His comments came in the context of intense discussion in Italy about the security of the Vatican and Rome, which are seen as potential targets for Islamist militants.

Pope Francis’ comments also had a spiritual significance — he has urged the Church to keep its doors open to lapsed believers.