"If A Muslim Woman Wishes To Wear A Veil, She Must Be Able To Do So" - Pope Francis
The Guardian:
During an interview with the French Catholic Newspaper Lacroix, Pope Francis was quoted to have said: "If a Muslim woman wishes to wear a veil, she must be able to do so. Similarly, if a Catholic wishes to wear a cross,". He also said: "People must be free to profess their faith at the heart of their own culture and not merely at its margins." He then expressed a "modest critique" of France, saying the country's laws exaggerate laicite - the seperation between Church and State.
"This arises from a way of considering religions as subcultures rather than as fully fledged cultures in their own right. I fear that this approach, which is understandable as part of the heritage of the Enlightenment, continues to exist. France needs to take a step forward on this issue in order " to accept that openness to transcendence is a right for everyone," he said.
