It’s not the press. The Pope really said this, showing himself to be something we always knew, a fool and the total tool of the UN, which set of the Zika panic in the first place.
That said, he has hinted that he has wanted to do this before (on his trip to the Philippines, even before the Zika panic), and this just gave him the opportunity.
One article today suggests that the Zika panic is being used (set up?) to let abortionists into South America, which is heavily Catholic and therefore anti-abortion (’except in the case of microcephaly’ — coincidentally). The pro-aborts want a nose under the tent to get in in any way they can.