Pope Francis OK's Contraception Use in Zika-Affected Countries

VOA ^ | 02/18/2016

[SeekAndFind]

Pope Francis has suggested it is acceptable to use artificial contraception methods in countries affected by the Zika virus.

"Avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil," he told reporters en route to Rome following his five-day trip to Mexico.

He cited Pope Paul VI's decree in the 1960s that allowed nuns serving in Africa to use contraception due to the threat of rape.

He said, "In certain cases, as in this one, such as the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear."

But he maintained the church's stance against abortion calling it "an absolute evil".

CDC's advice

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised men who have been to an area with Zika virus to abstain from sex or use condoms. It added that men with pregnant partners should abstain or use condoms for the duration of her pregnancy.

Experts suspect Zika could cause microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with unusually small heads because the brain has not developed properly or has stopped growing.

[Elsie]

For doing so I was sent to the FR outer darkness for 2 days.

Only 2?

Pfft!

[metmom]

Satire can never compete with reality.

[SaraJohnson]

He’s a dilly. Jesuit.

[Jamestown1630]

I appreciate ‘intent’ and ‘situation’ - they inform my own views on a lot of issues (including birth control and abortion).

But I’m not a Catholic, and until now have refrained from commenting on what seems to me to be a lot of incoherence coming from this Pope.

What about his comments as to how building a wall, to protect a nation, is somehow ‘unChristian’ - from a Pope who lives inside of a walled city himself, with very able armed guards watching over him at all times?

I’ve personally often wondered what this Pope’s philosophical/religious *center* really is. He just seems to be all over the place, without any real organization of mind/thought.

(I don’t mean any offense to my Catholic FRiends; it’s just that this is a Pope like none we’ve seen in my lifetime, and who seems to be causing a lot of confusion, even among his own fold.)

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

And that ‘mamby-pamby’ stuff will save the Jew...HOW?

-JT

[utahagen]

“Until we have seen the full quotation in context and had competent people deal with the original language version of it, I think that your second paragraph is somewhat premature.”

You’re probably right. However, this Pope has to stop talking to the media off-the-cuff! That he continues to do so is evidence of poor judgment, or worse.

[nobamanomore]

You realize ‘avoiding pregnancy’ was all he said. That could mean not having sex!

He didn’t say what is being reported at all, but the media sure takes great happiness in reporting it.

[2harddrive]

What I am reporting is actual Roman Catholic theology per the Catechism. Now, remember too that the midwives did not lie to save the babies, which were already fine by that point. They lied to SAVE THEIR OWN LIVES, a still good, but less noble motive, because they knew the Pharaoh would have them tortured of killed for disobedience is he knew the truth. The Pope would reply that after helping with the babies, the women should have escaped to safety, or found some other way around the issue, but not lying, because that is using an evil means to achieve a good end.