Pope Francis: Extremists eliminate God, use Him as a pretext

Pope Francis condemns “deviant forms of religion” that are used to justify violence, and says that “religious fundamentalism, even before it eliminates human beings by perpetrating horrendous killings, eliminates God himself, turning him into a mere ideological pretext.”

The global leader of Roman Catholicism says the attacks were the result of a “throwaway culture,” where human beings and God are rejected outright.

The brother of Ahmed Merabet, the Muslim police officer killed by the Charlie Hebdo gunmen, pleaded with people not to mix up Muslims and extremists, saying madmen have no race or religion.

“My brother was Muslim and he was killed by people who pretend to be Muslims,” Malek Merabet said. “They are terrorists — that’s it.”