French Catholic Bishops Address Freedom of Expression Amid Cartoon Controversy

"Deeply saddened by the Islamist attacks and in particular that of a teacher in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and then of three Catholics in a church in Nice, the bishops of France gathered in Plenary Assembly condemn without reservation these crimes," they declared, before quoting an excerpt from Pope Francis’ encyclical All Brothers. "The Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb and I have firmly stated that religions never incite war and do not solicit feelings of hatred, hostility, extremism, nor do they invite violence or bloodshed."

For the bishops of France, freedom must be defended without weakness. "Does this mean that freedom of expression should know no restraint towards others and ignore the need for debate and dialogue? Yes, believers, like all citizens, can be hurt by insults, mockery and also by offensive caricatures," they address their compatriots.

They call on them to take fraternity into account in their individual and collective, personal and institutional behaviors. Their deep conviction, they will say, is the following: "freedom grows when it goes hand in hand with fraternity". Since there is "no true freedom without respect and without fraternity".

"As St. Paul says: ’Everything is permitted,’ they say, but ’(…) everything is not good,’ ’Everything is permitted, but everything is not constructive.’ Let no one seek his own interest, but that of others’ (1 Cor 10:23-24). It is time to reflect on how our collective institutions and our individual behaviors must promote respect and deploy fraternity. This urgent reflection must be undertaken by the public authorities. It concerns each of us. It concerns us all," they concluded.