New Charlie Hebdo pokes fun at the Pope

The new chief editor of Charlie Hebdo, Gerard Biard, left, and columnist Patrick Pelloux, right, comfort cartoonist Luz at a press conference this week (PA)

Satirical newspaper sends a message to Francis in issue featuring the Prophet Mohammed

The editorial of the new issue of Charlie Hebdo newspaper has poked fun at the Pope.

The special edition of the magazine, the first since last week’s massacre at its office in Paris in which 12 people were murdered, is expected to sell five million copies upon its publication today.

The new issue features an image of the Prophet Mohammed on the front cover, with the strapline “all is forgiven” (tout est pardonné).

The French magazine will be on sale for two weeks and will be translated into English, Spanish, Arabic and Italian.

The editorial in the new edition makes reference to protests by Femen, a radical feminist group that recently staged a topless protest in Notre Dame cathedral.

“What made us laugh the most is that the bells of Notre Dame rang in our honour,” the editorial stated. “We would like to send a message to Pope Francis, who, too, was ‘Charlie’ this week: we only accept the bells of Notre Dame ringing in our honour when it is Femen who make them tinkle.”

The Vatican strongly condemned last Wednesday’s murders, which began three days of terror that left 17 people dead.