Pope: Catholics don't have to breed 'like rabbits'

[webfact]

Pope: Catholics don't have to breed 'like rabbits'
NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis is firmly upholding church teaching banning contraception, but said Monday that Catholics don't have to breed "like rabbits" and should instead practice "responsible parenting."

Speaking to reporters en route home from the Philippines, Francis said there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births. But he said most importantly, no outside institution should impose its views on regulating family size, blasting what he called the "ideological colonization" of the developing world.

African bishops, in particular, have long complained about how progressive, Western ideas about birth control and gay rights are increasingly being imposed on the developing world by groups, institutions or individual nations, often as a condition for development aid.

"Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized," Francis said.

His comments, taken together with his defense of the Catholic Church's ban on artificial contraception during the trip, signal that he is increasingly showing his more conservative bent, which has largely been ignored by public opinion or obscured by a media narrative that has tended to highlight his populist persona.

On the trip, he gave his strongest defense yet of the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which enshrined the church's opposition to artificial birth control. He warned against "insidious attacks" against the family — a reference to gay marriage proposals — echoing language often used by overwhelmingly conservative U.S. bishops. And he insisted that "openness to life is a condition of the sacrament of matrimony."

At the same time, however, he said it's not true that to be a good Catholic "you have to be like rabbits." On the contrary, he said "responsible parenthood" requires that couples regulate the births of their children, as church teaching allows. He cited the case of a woman he met who was pregnant with her eighth child after seven Cesarean sections.

"That is an irresponsibility!" he said. The woman might argue that she should trust in God. "But God gives you methods to be responsible," he said.

He said there are many "licit" ways of regulating births that are approved by the church, an apparent reference to the Natural Family Planning method of monitoring a woman's cycle to avoid intercourse when she is ovulating.

During the Vatican's recent meeting on the family, African bishops denounced how aid groups and lending institutions often condition their assistance on a country's compliance with their ideals: allowing health care workers to distribute condoms, or withdrawing assistance if legislation discriminating against gays is passed.

"When imposed conditions come from imperial colonizers, they search to make people lose their own identity and make a sameness," he said. "This is ideological colonization."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-01-20

[mrtoad]

Usual backward thinking, irresponsibility of possibly the most corrupt organisation in the world.

[biggles45]

" Francis said there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births. "

And the Philippines is a perfect example of how they DON'T work. In the 70's Thailand and Philippines had a similar population. Now Thailand has 64 million and Philippines 100 million. What does that say about the effectiveness of their church-approved methods. ?

[Ulic]

"Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized," Francis said.

Is this in reference to before the church arrived in Africa, the Americas and South Pacific or only after ?

[Ulysses G.]

I try not to be too critical of Christianity and think that it does a lot of good, but banning contraception is INSANE. People are going to have sex and contraception is the only way to stop unwanted babes. .

[Berkshire]

This is the problem with the Catholic church and religion in general. They do not take into account human nature. To ban contraception and then push for "responsible parenting" makes absolutely no sense. Couples should just stop having sex? Of course, that's impossible. This sort of belief is particularly damaging to the low income sheeps who make up a large proportion of the Catholic denomination.

[VINCENT2012]

to me religion has been invented to explain the non explainable and since long time the church and many others have no argument to convince some , so they keep saying and repeating the same stupid things all the time, even when they are wrong.

i am sure they still miss the all passed century where burning, killing and torturing was the right way to demostrate the power of their good god.

untill i dont see on of these god knocking on my door, i will never beleive in such a thing and even less the pope or the people who speak on his name.

Edited January 20, 2015 by VINCENT2012

[English 1]

Of course the Vatican WANT'S Catholics to Breed Breed Breed.......

It's a business and they collect money from all Catholics Rich and VERY POOR.

Whilst they live in Splendour and Luxury!

Disgraceful!

[wabothai]

When I was young church leaders were suggesting we breed like rabbits.

I say no more !!!!!!!

[willyumiii]

The "Holy Church" still still has a ban on the use of artificial contraception?

Did they ever get around to banning priest molesting little boys?

Priorities...

[iReason]

""Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized," Francis said."

The irony of that statement is colossal.

[wirat69]

" Francis said there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births. "

And the Philippines is a perfect example of how they DON'T work. In the 70's Thailand and Philippines had a similar population. Now Thailand has 64 million and Philippines 100 million. What does that say about the effectiveness of their church-approved methods. ?

.... she has to do the laundry!!!

[arend]

The "Holy Church" still still has a ban on the use of artificial contraception?

Did they ever get around to banning priest molesting little boys?

Priorities...

Didn't get the memo? That's one of the ways of regulating births approved of by the church

[elgordo38]

"Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized," Francis said.

Is this in reference to before the church arrived in Africa, the Americas and South Pacific or only after ?

If the Catholic Church senses an edge it will go for the jugular like in Latin America. They have made abortion illegal in Mexico and also in most of the southern countries where they rule with an iron fist due to lack of education of the populus. On the other side of the coin take Quebec province in Canada a Catholic province but all their efforts there are low key as the people are educated and their dogma does not fly there. Its the same in France people are educated. They have tried over the years to assert themselves in Quebec but are soon put in their place. They tried time and again to influence politicians there right up to young Mr. Trudeau head of the Liberal party but to no avail. Church and politics should not mix.

[elgordo38]

Of course the Vatican WANT'S Catholics to Breed Breed Breed.......

It's a business and they collect money from all Catholics Rich and VERY POOR.

Whilst they live in Splendour and Luxury!

Disgraceful!

You should see the splendor inside the Catholic churches in Mexico. Instead of lending succor to the poor they pee money away on rockets to blast into the sky. Its like living in a war zone. I tolerated it for 10 years then left shell shocked. Why do the blast rockets into the sky on religious holidays (which are often. It keeps peoples minds off the obvious problems) its obvious to get God's attention.

[Jonmarleesco]

'... he said most importantly, no outside institution should impose its views on regulating family size ... African bishops ... have long complained about ... progressive, Western ideas ... increasingly being imposed on the developing world ... often as a condition for development aid ...' And does the Catholic Church have the financial wherewithal, or enthusiasm, to take on the resultant burden engendered by such a laissez-faire approach? No! With the ever more vocal arguments against development aid, particularly in the current climate, those countries are damned lucky to be receiving such taxpayer-funded aid, at all.

[humqdpf]

The distribution of condoms or other contraceptives by aid agencies is only providing individuals and their families with choices. No aid agency ever said that it is a condition of receiving aid that people have to use them. Instead, those conservative Catholic voices who criticise the aid agencies and accuse them of cultural colonialism had better be careful with that criticism - most of these developing countries were originally colonised in every sense of the word and had the Catholic religion imposed on them.

Instead of this smoke and mirrors approach, the Pope should just come out with it and make it clear. What can the woman who has had 8 C-sections say to her husband when he wants sex? If you interview these women in the Philippines, they will tell you, "I cannot deny that to my husband." Sometimes this means that such denial will lead to domestic violence. Sometimes it will mean that the man will go somewhere else to be satisfied and that will leave the woman and children without the means for survival.

Or perhaps he ought to address the reason for between 300,000 and 500,000 illegal abortions that occur every year in the Philippines (very hard to get a precise number but it is high). The vast majority of these abortions are back-street or home-made with huge medical problems for the women involved who are doing this out of extreme desperation.

[rickirs]

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" Francis said there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births. "

And the Philippines is a perfect example of how they DON'T work. In the 70's Thailand and Philippines had a similar population. Now Thailand has 64 million and Philippines 100 million. What does that say about the effectiveness of their church-approved methods. ?

Catholics make better lovers?

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Of course the Vatican WANT'S Catholics to Breed Breed Breed.......

It's a business and they collect money from all Catholics Rich and VERY POOR.

Whilst they live in Splendour and Luxury!

Disgraceful!

You should see the splendor inside the Catholic churches in Mexico. Instead of lending succor to the poor they pee money away on rockets to blast into the sky. Its like living in a war zone. I tolerated it for 10 years then left shell shocked. Why do the blast rockets into the sky on religious holidays (which are often. It keeps peoples minds off the obvious problems) its obvious to get God's attention.

And in Thailand people spent billions of baht to goldleaf buddhist temples and statues for merit. If reason was the basis for religious faith, there would be no faith.

[rickirs]

"Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized,"

That's fine but then feed, cloth, and shelter your own people. That means you take the responsibility for the health and welfare of your own people. People sick, people die - your problem.

[smotherb]

Usual backward thinking, irresponsibility of possibly the most corrupt organisation in the world.

"Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized," Francis said. Isn't that precisely what religions have done, ideological colonization?

[mok199]

i agree with him in principle but i would apply it to many peoples...it seems the lower the IQ,the higher the birthrate...??

[arunsakda]

Christianity is the greatest farce that has ever been perpetrated on humanity.

[Ulysses G.]

Islam is even worse.

[simon43]

I try not to be too critical of Christianity and think that it does a lot of good, but banning contraception is INSANE. People are going to have sex and contraception is the only way to stop unwanted babes.

Maybe Filipino/as are just crap at reading calendars

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.

[Matej]

Second Vatican Council was first step, Pope Francis will be second.

I'm an atheist, but I like his approach and vision ...

God bless him

[Yann55]

So much for those (including me) who thougt that this pope was perhaps going to bring some fresh air into the mildewed, stale, windowless room where the Vatican conserves the catholic Church's views on sexuality.

I particularly appreciate the part where the African bishops complain bitterly about International aid being sometimes given on condition. In many African countries, gays are treated like criminal, perverted and evil beasts. They are murdered, humiliated, held in fear. Bishops want to condone that because it's the correct Christian attitude ? If so then SHAME ON YOU, African bishops, and why don't you READ THE GOSPELS ? Why should organizations who believe in tolerance, compassion, freedom close their eyes and give unconditionally when international aid is handled (or sould I say hijacked) mainly by violently dogmatic mummies like you ?

The bottom line is : ALL religions strive to control the people's sexuality, because in doing so they give themselves POWER over their minds. As long as they hold on firmly to this power, what do they care if banning condoms is akin to condemning millions of people to death by AIDS ? What do they care if demonizing gays is criminal, stupid, irresponsible and the cause of utter misery and pain for hundreds of thousands ?

I will say it again and again. It is NOT religions that distort human beings, it's the other way round, and boy, are they good at it !

[SABloke]

'' "That is an irresponsibility!" he said. The woman might argue that she should trust in God. "But God gives you methods to be responsible," he said. ''

Methods such as contraception. Oops...how's his foot feeling I womder?