Pope: ‘One Cannot Make Fun of Faith’

Pope Francis said Thursday that free speech doesn’t cover insulting religion, barely a week after the Charlie Hebdo massacre. “One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith,” the pope said in Italian. “Every religion has its dignity… and I cannot make fun of it,” he continued. “In freedom of expression, there are limits, like in regard to my mom. ... If he says a swear word against my mother, he’s going to get a punch in the nose.” Francis has himself been a target of Charlie Hebdo, portrayed in pornographic poses or calling women “cocksuckers” in this week’s issue. Good news, though: The pope doesn’t think anyone should be killed over it. “One cannot make war, kill in the name of one’s own religion, that is, in the name of God. To kill in the name of God is an aberration.”