Pope: Killing is ‘absurd,’ but ‘you cannot insult other people’s faith’

Pope Francis told reporters on Thursday that “to kill in the name of God is an absurdity,” but made a reminder that “each religion has its dignity” and therefore “there are limits” to how they are criticized. “You cannot provoke, you cannot insult other people’s faith, you cannot mock it,” the Pope said, responding to questions about Islamists’ attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which had run satirical cartoon on the prophet Mohammed, killing a number of its staff. “Freedom of speech is a right and a duty that must be displayed without offending,” Francis said. The Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack, in what analysts was an attempt by the group to regain ground lost to the Islamic State group. Analysts warned that the rivalry of the two militant groups could spark a dangerous competition to win jihadist hearts, boosting the threat of extremist attacks in the West.

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