Dubai: In an interview with the UAE newspaper al-Ittihad on Monday, Pope Francis stated that he opposed the legalisation of the Qur'an's burning and added that such actions incensed him.

According to the pope, "any book considered holy should be respected to respect those who believe in it." "I am disgusted and enraged by these actions."

The head of the Catholic Church's comments are regarded as the first official response to incidents of Quran copies being burned in Sweden.

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He emphasised that exercising one's right to freedom of expression should not be a justification for offending others, saying, "Allowing this is unacceptable and condemned."

Our goal is to transform religion into a force for good deeds, brotherhood, and cooperation.

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Last week, a man tore apart and set a Qur'an on fire in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, drawing harsh condemnation from a number of nations. 

While Swedish police have recently turned down several requests for anti-Qur'an protests, courts have overturned those decisions, claiming they violated the right to free speech.

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An Islamic coalition of 57 countries stated on Sunday that international law should be used to stop religious hatred and that collective action is required to stop acts of desecration of the Qur'an