Pope Francis spent 40 min answering questions, on flight: Sri Lanka - Philippines, about Paris attacks, freedom of worship & expression, security on papal trips & his new encyclical -expected June/July: “Behind every suicide attack is an element of human imbalance. I dont know if this can be considered mental imbalance, but human. Theres something that doesnt function in this person. He isnt balanced in terms of the meaning of his own life & that of others. He gives his life, but he does not do so in the right way. Many people - missionaries, for example – give their own lives, but constructively. This, instead, is self-destruction to destroy”. Regarding security on papal trips & terrorist threats: “The best way to respond is to be gentle, humble. I worry about safety of the faithful & have spoken about this with the Vatican security officials. Am I afraid? I have a fault, a large dose of recklessness but I know that its necessary to take security measures, prudent but sure”. Freedom of worship & expression: “I believe these are fundamental human rights. Were talking about Paris, lets be clear. Everyone has the right to practice their own religion freely, without offending. … One cannot offend, make war & kill in the name of their religion, that is, in Gods name. What is happening shocks us. But lets think about how many wars there have been in the name of religion, throughout history. We too are sinners in this respect. But we mustnt kill in the Gods name. This is an aberration. Every person hasnt only freedom/rights but also the duty to say what he/she thinks in aid of the common good but without offending. Its true that one shouldnt react violently, but if my friend insults my mother he can expect a punch! Its normal, one shouldnt provoke, one shouldnt insult other peoples faith. There are limits to freedom of expression”.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 18:37:27 +0000
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