Scottish Catholic Observer

If you read the secular press last week you might have been surprised to learn that Pope Francis advocates punching people who insult religion. The solemn condemnations of the Holy Father’s remarks on the plane from Sri Lanka to Philippines were many when he apparently suggested that if ‘a great friend, says a bad word against my mother, then a punch awaits him’ and a similar fate could await those who belittle religion.

At worst the Holy Father’s remarks were condemned as being motivated by the same spirit that lead Islamic terrorists to attack the offices of the Charlie Hebdo in Paris. This analysis reveals the lack of understanding many mainstream journalists have of the Pope and the principles of Catholic Church, but worse, it shows just how quick our society is to rush to judgement. Because what the Pope actually said is entirely different. Reading through the actual transcript of the Pope’s comments he clearly says ‘to kill in the name of God is an aberration’ and freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, but the point of the punch was to illustrate that though there are things we can do, it doesn’t mean we should.

The Pope himself made this clear, on his later flight back to Rome from the Philippines this week. “In theory we can say that we have freedom of expression, and that’s important,” he said on Monday. “But we are human and there’s prudence which is a virtue of human coexistence. I cannot constantly insult, provoke a person continuously because I risk making him/her angry, and I risk receiving an unjust reaction, one that is not just.”

In essence freedom must be accompanied by prudence. That is not as snappy a headline as ‘Pope punches back.’

Many things we are free to do under the law, but they are not right; lie, commit adultery, belittle our friends. It is easy to assume that those who believe differently from us are evil people. The desire to fight hate with hate is a strong one, but it is wrong. We are better when we try and understand people’s viewpoints and motives than when we lash out in reactionary ways. Whether it is someone’s religion or their mother, we all benefit if we take the time to understand what is important to others and to respect it. That is a message for the world equally as important as respecting freedom of speech.