Pope Francis on Charlie Hebdo: 'You cannot insult the faith of others'

[The Pope takes two steps back. - Bozo]
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By Abby Ohlheiser
January 15 at 8:29 AM
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En route to the Philippines, Pope Francis condemned last week's deadly attacks in Paris, but said it's wrong to insult religious beliefs. (Reuters)
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A week after the massacre at the headquarters of a French publication known for insulting adherents of several faiths, Pope Francis told reporters that freedom of expression has its limits when it comes to insulting religion.
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Or, he joked, his mom.
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Calling freedom of expression a "fundamental" human right, the pope outlined why he believes there are limits to that right. If someone "says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," he joked, according to an Associated Press translation. "It's normal. It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."
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Despite joking about his mother, Francis also condemned violent retaliation. "One cannot offend, make war, kill in the name of one's own religion - that is, in the name of God," the pope said. "To kill in the name of God is an aberration."
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Francis was speaking in Italian aboard the papal plane, on the way from Sri Lanka to the Philippines. According to the National Catholic Reporter, the pope was responding to a question about freedom of speech and religion in general. But acknowledging that the reporter asking the question was French, Pope Francis indicated that his response applied specifically to the attacks. "Let's go to Paris, let's speak clearly," he said, according to NCR.
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"The Pope's expression is in no way intended to be interpreted as a justification for the violence and terror that took place in Paris last week," the Vatican press office said in a later statement, addressing Francis's remarks. The statement adds, "the Pope's free style of speech, especially in situations like the press conference must be taken a face value and not distorted or manipulated."
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