To hope the Pope does indeed punch his assistant...

[PausingFlatly]

... and get arrested for assault.

Seems he thinks it's clever to state that people who insult his mother should be punched.

As an example of how to treat people who insult him or religion.

And I'd thought this Pope wasn't dim. Looks like I was wrong.

Catholicism IS my culture, KenDodds.

Ah ex Catholic school . Says it all .

I don't think the Pope meant it to be taken literally

like the bible then haha

A Catholic pope is unlikely to ever advocate an eye for eye. I'm not offended by him - and so what if I was? I find it odd what he said.

He wasn't saying it was wrong either, CaptainHolt. And portrayed it has his own action, not some regrettable, wrong action by the misguided.

I'm sticking with my call of "twat".

I'm not offended either . I wasn't saying he would advocate it if you read up , more that the bible can pretty much he used in any argument . Tends to happen on professionally offended threads.

I can see Tim Minchin going to number 1 off the back of this.

Amazing how the Pope gets so much press space when a guy in Saudi is being flogged and imprisoned . Only one thread on that but a few Francis bashing threads .

Gli attentati di Parigi, la libertà religiosa e quella di espressione, la responsabilità. Francesco a tutto campo sul volo dallo Sri Lanka alle Filippine: «Non si può reagire violentemente, ma se uno dice una parolaccia contro mia mamma, si aspetta un pugno».

I see it as " the attacks in paris , the freedom of religion and that of expression, the responsability ". francesco says from his flight from Sri lanka to the Phillapines. " you cannot react violently , but if somebody swares against my mother then they can expect a punch.

I therefore understand that he basically is saying taking the piss out of any religion is wrong. However acting violently in return is also wrong.
If his religion ( his mum) was attacked he would be mighty angry as well.

I see and understand with what he is saying and I agree. ( I am not a catholic btw ) I disagree with violence as well btw.......

Is he saying reacting violently is wrong?

I sincerely hope so, and that it's just a very bad translation.

Or is he saying "Yeh but no but"?

Oh no I like this pope.
Best one for ages, leave him alone.

I did like him.

Not convinced now.

Need a proper bilingual person to say for sure in that sentence, but 'pugno' can also just mean 'clash"

I didn't think this pope was too bad. I sincerely hope that what has been reported on the BBC was a mistranslation.

At the moment, it looks distinctly like "Yeh but no but"...

I'm not Catholic and I've never had an opinion on any other Pope, but this one seems like a genuinely decent bloke, so kind and giving.

You're very angry with him OP, and I can't help but wonder why.

Going on everything else that he's said/done, I just can't see what he said literally meaning that he'd deck anyone slagging off his Mum, why would he say something so at odds with how he normally is?

I'm sure he has someone (lots of people) going over everything he says publically with a fine tooth comb, they wouldn't have let something through (in the way you're taking it) at such a time unless they're trying to kick it all off between the Catholics and Muslims

pugno means punch when you mime a punch to go along with it. Which according to reports he did.

Non si può reagire violentemente, ma se uno dice una parolaccia contro mia mamma, si aspetta un pugno

You can't react violently, but if somebody said a swear word against my mother (insulted my mother in a sweary fashion), he could expect a punch.

best I can do at this time of night.

It's the fact that he is saying this (and acting it) in response to the Paris killings, Agent.

He appears to be validating a violent response to feeling insulted.

I expected better of him.

I've just seen it in the intro bit on the Beeb news. That wasn't a punch gesture - he was waving his hand up by his own head in what I thought was simply emphasis. It'll probably be shown again in the full item in a few minutes (possible the intro bit wasn't the bit in question, presenter was talking over, so might not have ber

... sorry, that got cut off 'so might not have been the bit in question'

Agree with Loletta

His overall message was one of tolerance to everyone, whatever their religion.

It's a bit disingenuous to deliberately misunderstand that.

I took what he said as meaning that even he, as the head of the Catholic church, would be fucked off if his mate was swearing about his Mum, so he can understand why others might get offended when they hear/see things they find outrageous.

He's sitting on the fence.

'I can understand why you might feel like that, I would too, but rise above it eh?'

It's not the kind of thing I would associate with a Pope, making such a personal remark, but I think more of him for doing it.

eye for an eye is talking about justice and the law and the punishment fitting the crime. I agree about the translation aspect of quote.

Yes, your statement of his meaning is what I'd expect, Agent. And all a good thing.

That's why I'm so shocked by the supposed "punch" bit. I really hope that, as AuntStella says, he was just waving his hands around.

He appears to be validating a violent response to feeling insulted.

Yes that's the way I took to, OP. Therefore condoning the massacre in Paris. Or rather saying they brought it on themselves.

I do rather wish we could stick all the religious fanatics and nuts on a desert island somewhere so they can kill each other instead of innocent people. Leave the rest of us, athiests, catholics, muslims, jews etc to get on with our lives and worship or not worship as we see fit. Without having to listen to their nutty shite and watch innocent people being murdered!

It's fairly obvious he didn't mean it literally.

He meant to convey the sense that if you insult then you shouldn't be surprised that volatile people will display a violent reaction.