Dear readers, Catholic Online was de-platformed by Shopify for our pro-life beliefs. They shut down our Catholic Online, Catholic Online School, Prayer Candles, and Catholic Online Learning Resources essential faith tools serving over 1.4 million students and millions of families worldwide. Our founders, now in their 70's, just gave their entire life savings to protect this mission. But fewer than 2% of readers donate. If everyone gave just $5, the cost of a coffee, we could rebuild stronger and keep Catholic education free for all. Stand with us in faith. Thank you. Help Now >
Anti-God cover sparks Vatican backlash
FREE Catholic Classes
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo shooting, the satire magazine printed an image of God as an assassin and armed with a Kalishnikov.
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
1/5/2016 (9 years ago)
Published in Europe
Keywords: Charlie Hebdo, God, religion, magazine, Vatican
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The magazine's cover reads, "One year on: The murderer is still out there." ---
The Agence France-Presse reported the magazine would release one million copies in France on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, condemned the French magazine for its portrayal of God as an assassin.
"Behind the deceptive flag of uncompromising secularism, the weekly is forgetting once more what religious leaders of every faith unceasingly repeat to reject violence in the name of religion - using God to justify hatred is a genuine blasphemy, as Pope Francis has said several times."
The paper added, "In Charlie Hebdo's choice, there is a sad paradox of a world which is more and more sensitive about being politically correct, almost to the point of ridicule, yet does not wish to acknowledge or to respect believers' faith in God, regardless of the religion."
TIME reported the controversial cover is one of many ways in which the magazine remembers the people shot down by Muslim extremists who attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo last January.
The two Islamic extremists burst into the magazine's headquarters in eastern Paris in retaliation for its depictions of the prophet Muhammad.
One week after the attack, Pope Francis commented, "To kill in the name of God is an absurdity."
The pontiff then cautioned, "each religion has its dignity" and "there are limits ... If a good friend speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched, and that's normal. You cannot provoke, you cannot insult other people's faith, you cannot mock it."
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
- Easter / Lent
- Ascension Day
- 7 Morning Prayers
- Mysteries of the Rosary
- Litany of the Bl. Virgin Mary
- Popular Saints
- Popular Prayers
- Female Saints
- Saint Feast Days by Month
- Stations of the Cross
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. Michael the Archangel
- The Apostles' Creed
- Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
- Pray the Rosary
The Coup Against Trump: A Treasonous Conspiracy to Overthrow the United States
Back to School: Reclaiming the Catholic Family
The Law of Forgiveness: Hope for Every Heart
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Monday, August 18, 2025
- St. Helena: Saint of the Day for Monday, August 18, 2025
- St. Christopher's Prayer for Strength: Prayer of the Day for Monday, August 18, 2025
- Daily Readings for Sunday, August 17, 2025
- St. Clare of Montefalco: Saint of the Day for Sunday, August 17, 2025
- Act of Faith: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, August 17, 2025
Daily Readings for Monday, August 18, 2025
St. Helena: Saint of the Day for Monday, August 18, 2025
St. Christopher's Prayer for Strength: Prayer of the Day for Monday, August 18, 2025
St. Clare of Montefalco: Saint of the Day for Sunday, August 17, 2025
Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.