The Vatican newspaper speaks out against the cover of the French satirical weekly, which marks the first anniversary of the attacks on its offices in Paris
The Holy See has strongly criticised the illustration on the special issue of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which depicts God carrying a machine gun. Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano said the image “illustrates the sad paradox of a world that is becoming so sensitive to political correctness it is verging on the ridiculous”. The special issue marks a year since the attack by Islamist radicals on the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris. L’Osservatore Romano says the French daily’s gesture dismissed and disrespects “all believers’ faith in God , whatever their credo”.
“This episode is nothing new because behind the deceitful flag of an “uncompromising secularism”, the French weekly has once again forgotten what all religious leaders have been repeating for some time now, rejecting violence in the name of religion: using God to justify hatred constitutes real “blasphemy”, as Pope Francis has said on so many occasions.”
The illustration on the newspaper’s front cover ‘is insulting towards faithful of all religions: it is a caricature which is not at all helpful at a time when we need to stand by each other’,” as “Anouar Kbibech, President of the Conseil français du culte musulman said, condemning the unfortunate cover published by Charlie Hebdo, a year on from the massacre, using unmistakeably Christian iconography to depict God as a terrorist, covered in blood and running away with a Kalashnikov slung over his shoulder. Words which echo the statement made by the French Episcopate, which asks whether this ‘is the kind of controversy France needs right now’.”
Speaking to news agency AdnKronos, the theologian and secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Mgr. Bruno Forte, described the French weekly’s choice as “distressing, as well as unfounded” . “The potential for violence can, if anything, become detached from an authentic religious experience, certainly not encouraged or incited by it. As Pope Francis has said, killing in the name of God is to act against God’s will.”
“It offends the sensitivity of all people, not only Christians, Jews or Muslims. It also offends those who despite not being believers sense how important it is to respect the religious conscience and dimension in life. Hence this act is strongly condemned,” he added.
Forte added that the French newspaper’s insinuations “are far from the truth, because all religions, not just Christianity, but also the Jewish and Muslim faiths, preach non violence in the name of God. If anything, one shows violence by adopting an ideological stance, claiming to possess the truth, judging and excluding others. Religions are faced with the mystery of God and therefore have a strong antidote against such attempts: the supremacy of the Lord whose will we must all obey”.
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