I write in support of Imam Gamal Foude’s comments on the need for love and respect in combatting violence. With all due respect to French leaders, I think they could start by reviewing the implications of laïcité. At this time, they have much to say about “Islamic terrorism”. Worse, some of the language they are Read more
France is the most rigorously secular state of the democratic world. Separation of Church and State enshrined in the famous 1905 law was the result of over a century of hostility between the Catholic Church and the French State. Mutual hostility began with the 1789 French Revolution. Until then monarchical France bathed in the glory Read more
A Christchurch imam wants France’s president to take a lesson from New Zealand’s response to extremist violence. Imam Gamal Fouda spoke out after two beheadings and the murders of three people at a Catholic church in Nice. The attacks are abhorrent and contradict “the tolerant teachings of Islam and all good human values,” he says. Read more
On 6 October, when Samuel Paty, a popular history and geography teacher at a school in a quiet Paris suburb, presented a copy of the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that provoked the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine five years ago, he self-evidently had no idea of the tragic consequence for his own life, French Read more
Pope Francis says he is praying for the families of the three people killed at Nice’s Notre Dame cathedral last week. He is asking the Lord to bring them comfort and he commends the victims to God’s mercy. The attack, one of two at churches in France last week was attributed to Muslim extremists. It Read more
France’s president Emmanuel Macron says a teacher’s murder last week was the work of domestic militant Islamist group. The murdered teacher, Samuel Paty, had discussed caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed with his class earlier this month. After the murder, 16 people were initially detained, by police. They included members of the killer’s family and five Read more
In a written statement covering a range of ethical concerns, the French bishops permanent council urges Catholics to express their opposition to changes to France’s bioethics laws. The proposed reforms have just passed the National Assembly on first reading and should be passed into law by early next year. They will allow assisted procreation to Read more
Attacks on French churches have moved back up to their “normal” level after a reduction during the country’s March 17 to May 11 lockdown. A spokesperson for an organization led by young Catholics, Protège ton église (Protect Your Church) says during the pandemic attacks continued on a smaller scale. This was despite the lockdown rules Read more
Papal nuncio Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Vatican ambassador to France, plans to meet the female candidates individually at the beginning of the new school year. Marie-Automne Thepot’s mobile phone rang on the morning of July 27th and, to her surprise, the call was from the papal nuncio’s office. The 42-year-old project manager at the Paris City Read more
A weekend fire in a French cathedral may have been started deliberately. A 39-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fire at Nantes historic St Peter and St Paul cathedral. Nantes’ public prosecutor, Pierre Sennès, says the fire appears to have started from three different spots in the cathedral: one at the level Read more