Pope Francis gestures as he talks with journalists during his flight from Manila to Rome Monday. (Giuseppe Cacace, AP, pool)
Re: “Pope Francis misses boat on free speech,” Jan. 20 editorial.
According to your editorial, Pope Francis does not understand that free speech should have no limits. Years ago our society held that along with a right also came the responsibility to use it with consideration of the rights of others. The example we were given was that falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater could result in people being trampled and injured.
Some in our society now believe that “freedom” means no limits to our rights. Free speech does not have to be truthful and can include those with more money dominating our political process.
Pope Francis’ admonition to respect the sincerely held religious beliefs of others may sound old-fashioned, but it is still Catholic social teaching that rights and responsibilities go together. Maybe it is time to have a discussion about rights and responsibilities in our society.
Mary Casper, Bailey
This letter was published in the Jan. 23 edition.
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