The terrible news of the Paris attacks reached me while I was teaching the first Ethics class after the Christmas vacations. I discussed with the student body the abominable nature of these actions and the rejection of violence by all was unanimous.

The values of freedom, unconditional respect for human life in all its stages have appeared frequently in the dialogues of this course, as well as respect for cultures, religions and values in an intercultural world whose reference is expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We recall the need for promote a universal ethics based on Natural Law as advocated in the document drafted on June 12, 2009 by the International Theological Commission.

The words of the Vatican Press Office on behalf of the Holy Father were also particularly enlightening in this context:

"Whatever the motivation may be, homicidal violence is abominable, it can never be justified, the life and dignity of all must be guaranteed and protected with determination, all incitement to hatred must be rejected, and respect for others must be cultivated".

Two days later before starting the anthropology lessons at TECNUN I proposed a minute of silence to the students in memory of the victims and their families and we added the memory of the unborn children, the victims of Ebola, the victims of domestic violence, those killed by terrorism, wars and torture... A minute of silence (in my case the silent prayer while looking at the crucifix of classroom) contains a powerful eloquence, especially when accompanied by more than a hundred university students at group professor .

Undoubtedly, for dialogue for peace and the eradication of violence to become a reality, the incitements to hatred that we have read about must be rejected and the cultivation of respect for the other promoted.

How can we combine the necessary freedom of expression with respect for others? This question finds, in my opinion, luminous clues in the last words of the Vatican's grade in which the Pope expressed his "support for all those who, in their various responsibilities, remain steadfastly committed to peace, justice and law, to heal in depth the sources and causes of hatred".

It is a "deep healing" capable of honestly confronting where the sources and causes of hatred lie.

In the same vein, the grade of the Pontifical committee for Interreligious Dialogue stated in its grade the condemnation of the attack, the necessary freedom of expression and an appeal to the media: "Taking into account the impact of the media, [the signatories] invite those responsible to provide information respectful of religions, their followers and their practices, thus promoting a culture of meeting".

The respectful information on religions, their followers and practices, unfortunately, did not appear anywhere in the pages of the sarcastic publication "Charlie Hebdo", and perhaps this detail has not been highlighted in the political statements of this mournful week. Undoubtedly, the unconditional rejection of violence and support for freedom of expression are indisputable values that belong to Europe's heritage. We must continue to cultivate and protect them with the necessary constitutional measures.

At the same time, freedom of expression has never been considered unlimited since the dignity of persons and institutions must be protected by the rule of law. The secular state must protect religious freedom and the good name of the various confessions.

If the attack against the honor and good reputation of individuals is criminalized in democratic states, the good reputation of religions must also be protected with the appropriate legal tools.

I support with all my heart and prayers the victims of the attack in Paris, the families of Charlie magazine and France. I unreservedly condemn the attacks, and at the same time, out of my unconditional respect for the dignity of the human person and its religious dimensions, I condemn the obscenity, the slanderous expressions of some sarcastic publications, which for example represent cartoons of the Trinitarian mystery in sodomy postures and criticize religions from the expressly pornographic language. I am very sorry, and although it may sound "politically incorrect" but I am not and will never be Charlie Hebdo.