Pope Francis has defended freedom of expression following last week's attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo - but also stressed its limits.
The pontiff said religions had to be treated with respect, so that people's faiths were not insulted or ridiculed.
To illustrate his point, he told journalists that his assistant could expect a punch if he cursed his mother.
The remarks came as funerals were held for four people killed in the attack by militant Islamists.
Friends and family paid last respects to cartoonists Bernard Verlhac, known as Tignous, and Georges Wolinski, as well as columnist Elsa Cayat and policeman Franck Brinsolaro.
Eight magazine staff, a visitor to the magazine, a caretaker and two policemen died in the attack. A policewoman and four people at a kosher supermarket died in separate attacks.
Al-Qaeda said it had directed the Charlie Hebdo attack.
The magazine was targeted for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. It printed another cartoon of the Prophet on its front page after the attacks, angering some Muslims who say all depictions of the Prophet should be forbidden.
France has deployed thousands of troops and police to boost security in the wake of last week's attacks. There have been retaliatory attacks against Muslim sites around France.
Meanwhile the creator of the "Je suis Charlie" slogan, which became a symbol of support for Charlie Hebdo, has applied for a patent, saying that he wants to prevent the commercial exploitation of the design and keep its original message intact.
'You cannot provoke'
Speaking to journalists flying with him to the Philippines, Pope Francis said last week's attacks were an "aberration", and such horrific violence in God's name could not be justified.
He staunchly defended freedom of expression, but then he said there were limits, especially when people mocked religion.
"If my good friend Doctor Gasparri [who organises the Pope's trips] speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched," he said, throwing a pretend punch at the doctor, who was standing beside him.
"You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others. There is a limit."
Earlier President Francois Hollande vowed to protect Muslims who, he said, were the main victims of fanaticism, along with people of other religions.
The pontiff said religions had to be treated with respect, so that people's faiths were not insulted or ridiculed.
A like totally unbiased judgement from a man who has like absolutely not a single horse in the race. You've therefore got to like respect that. Amen!
Next week's guest preacher will be Richard Dawkins, who has chosen to speak about evolution. You'll never guess what he is going to say.
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops. - Stephen J. Gould
Yeah, I didn't read past that sentence. No, religion doesn't have to be treated with respect.
Sent from my penis using wankertalk. "The Western world is fucking awesome because of mostly white men" - DaveDodo007. "Socialized medicine is just exactly as morally defensible as gassing and cooking Jews" - Seth. Yes, he really did say that.. "Seth you are a boon to this community" - Cunt. "I am seriously thinking of going on a spree killing" - Svartalf.
If your everyday life seems poor, don’t blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is no poverty and no poor, indifferent place. --Rilke.
He's got a point. Religion is central to rights of passage currently so little wonder folks take it seriously? Until humanist/secular alternatives to things like marriages and funerals are widely and deeply accepted, after the coming mass die off nothing will change.
What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
Ahh...the auld, "How do we get salvific fructification in our diet without fanciful peregrinations through the lush and nourishing orchards of subjectivity?" thing...
The leader of a church providing commentary on freedom of speech? I'm sure he's eminently qualified.
these are things we think we know
these are feelings we might even share
these are thoughts we hide from ourselves
these are secrets we cannot lay bare.
Thumpalumpacus wrote:The leader of a church providing commentary on freedom of speech? I'm sure he's eminently qualified.
He is quite consistent with his commentary, and firmly on the side of terrorism.
The pontiff said religions had to be treated with respect, so that people's faiths were not insulted or ridiculed. ... "If my good friend Doctor Gasparri [who organises the Pope's trips] speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched," he said, throwing a pretend punch at the doctor, who was standing beside him.
"You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others. There is a limit."
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops. - Stephen J. Gould
Thumpalumpacus wrote:The leader of a church providing commentary on freedom of speech? I'm sure he's eminently qualified.
He is quite consistent with his commentary, and firmly on the side of terrorism.
The pontiff said religions had to be treated with respect, so that people's faiths were not insulted or ridiculed. ... "If my good friend Doctor Gasparri [who organises the Pope's trips] speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched," he said, throwing a pretend punch at the doctor, who was standing beside him.
"You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others. There is a limit."
What about heresy then? Surely you can do heresy? Maybe gnosticism, Sufism, Californian Buddhism with some new age woo mixed in? And you get some colourful ethnic clothes?
What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
