The pope’s diminished freedom of speech

Did the pope just display an iota of sympathy for the zealots who massacred Charlie Hebdo staff? In response to a question about the attack, he replied, “One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith.”

The pontiff justified his position by stating that if someone cursed his mother, he would punch them. “It’s normal,” he insisted, “You cannot provoke.