Caricatures of faith are ‘an invasion of freedom’ – Archbishop

Caricatures of faith are not expressions of freedom but of “botched entitlement” according to the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Mission and Dialogue’ organised by the Irish Missionary Union (IMU) last week, Archbishop Michael Jackson said respecting other faiths must be part of a “mature understanding of what it is to be a citizen of Ireland”.

Talking about the range of cultures and faiths now found in Ireland, Archbishop Jackson said combatting caricature was one the most difficult challenges of modern society.

“If we think of painful examples of that such as the Danish cartoons, that sense of botched entitlement to caricature the faith of another. I think that sort of activity is not to do with freedom but the invasion of freedom of the other,” he said.

“It is tremendously important for us to make creative and respectful use of difference. Difference does not necessarily lead to division,” he said. 

“The invitation to us as a people is to take seriously questions of welcome, understanding and interrelationship.”

Archbishop Jackson was the chair of the final session in a series of talks to celebrate 50 years of Ad Gentes (To the Peoples). Iman Ali al-Saleh also spoke on the theme of Islam and Fr Hugh MacMahon SSC spoke on Buddhism.