'We must not give in to fear' says Archbishop in aftermath of Charlie Hebdo attacks

The Most Rev Justin Welby, former Bishop of Durham, said France had survived "worse than this before" and spoke out in support of free speech, satirists and their ability to challenge cruelty and oppression.

That support came even though we might not always agree with the way they mock their targets, he said.

Speaking in Durham Cathedral ahead of receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the city's university, the Francophile former oil executive who worked in Paris for Elf Aquitaine said: "The French are like the British, a country of enormous resources and strength, of great courage who have recovered from worse than this before.

"I think it is a challenge to all of us to maintain the values on which we have lived over the years, which we have developed out of years of censorship and oppression and religious violence, and to say that the way we live, with the confidence that enables us to satirise, to mock, is a good and important value in our society.

"It doesn't mean that we will always agree with the satirising, but we have to be confident that our values are good values in this.

"They enable oppression and cruelty to be challenged, whether it is coming from the Church or anywhere else and we must not be afraid.

"This is a moment for courage."

Asked if he had a message for British Muslims, he replied: "I would not presume to have a message telling them what to do.

"I had a long talk yesterday with one of the senior Muslim leaders in the country.

"They are utterly horrified by what happened and they have said so very, very clearly indeed and that needs to be heard - their horror.

"We need robust confidence in our own culture, profound and generous hospitality to others and we need to stand together, courageously against the kind of actions that happened in Paris.

"I'm sure we are capable of doing it, as are the French."

Asked to comment on religion being used as an excuse for the atrocity in France, he replied: "Religion is a very easy hook to hang other conflicts on - always has been.

"The trouble is, if you use the hook long enough it becomes a reality.

"We need to tackle clearly the utter unacceptability of any form of religious violence and that comes from a society that believes in free speech and in generous hospitality to all in society."

The Archbishop said he had recovered from a bout of pneumonia which prevented him from giving his Christmas Day message, but he was still afflicted with a cough.