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That's not really what he said, though, is it?

I originally thought I was being hyperbolic, but now I'm not sure.

Asked about the attack that killed 12 people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo – targeted because it had printed depictions of the prophet Muhammad – he said: “One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith.

“There is a limit. Every religion has its dignity … in freedom of expression there are limits.”

He gestured to Alberto Gasparri, who organises papal trips and was standing by his side, and added: “If my good friend Dr Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch. It’s normal. It’s normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others.”

So in the context of the Charlie Hebdo murders, he has said that insults to faith should expect a violent response, and in the face of insults he would be prone to use violence himself. It's not really a stretch to infer 'these Kouachi's went a bit far, but the scribblers brought it on themselves' from that. An appropriate answer from a holy Christ type would have been more along the lines of forgiveness and turning the other cheek.

It would be nice if everyone's dignity was respected. Problem is, some ludicrous people have ludicrous ideas of the dignity they deserve, and of how they should react when it's not granted.