Satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has depicted God as a terrorist on the cover of its new edition.

The magazine‚ which on Wednesday published a special edition to mark the anniversary of the attack on its offices in Paris last year‚ is printing a million copies of the special edition.

The cover‚ designed by cartoonist Laurent “Riss” shows God‚ dressed in a blodied robe‚ wielding a submachine gun. A caption announces: “One year on‚ the assassin still runs free.”

The Vatican has condemned the image‚ saying the cover disrespects all faiths.

The Vatican daily Osservatore Romano said the magazine was “using God to justify hatred” and showing “genuine blasphemy”.

“Behind the deceptive flag of an uncompromising secularism‚ the French weekly once again forgets what religious leaders of every faith have been urging for ages — to reject violence in the name of religion and that using God to justify hatred is a genuine blasphemy... (Charlie Hebdo) does not want to recognize or respect believers’ faith in God‚ regardless of their religion‚” the paper said.