Pope Francis Breed Like Rabbits

Pope Francis says there is no need to breed “like rabbits”

Pope Francis Breed Like Rabbits

Pope Francis tells Catholics that, while the Church’s opinions on contraception haven’t changed, families should be responsible and not breed “like rabbits.”

Pope Francis’ recent trip to Asia seemed to adhere much more closely to accepted church doctrine. However, always one for making noteworthy comments, Pope Francis spoke briefly on contraception and it has caused quite a stir. In a speech that was delivered onboard a plane, he said that although he sticks to the Catholic dialogue on no contraception, there is no need for people to breed “like rabbits.” This has caused many people to come out against the seemingly paradoxical Church’s position of banning the use of contraception.

A Confusing Position

The official position of the Catholic Church as outlined in the Humanae Vitae is that no contraception should be used by members of the Church. Instead, the Church advocates abstaining from sex during a woman’s most fertile time. Many have interpreted the Bible’s and Church’s teachings to mean “have a lot of children,” or, as Pope Francis put it: “to be like rabbits. Now, with the pope saying that there is no need to breed like rabbits and have needlessly large families, it has left many people confused about what the official line is on procreation. To clarify, Pope Francis said that he was advocating a more responsible form of parenthood that involved church-approved methods.

Responsible Parenthood

In what has become a very common way of reaching out to people, Pope Francis used his breeding “like rabbits” colloquialism to highlight the issue of irresponsible family planning. He told a story about a young woman that he had met during his journeys that had given birth to seven children through cesarean section and was pregnant with an eighth. Pope Francis admonished the woman for “tempting God” and said that she was being irresponsible for having so many children. This backs up the interpretation of using natural contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy to act as a responsible Catholic.

A Traditional Take

Pope Francis stuck very close to tradition when he spoke about what he called “ideological colonization,” which he credited for making individuals in devout countries be more open to contraception. This was in reference to his visit to the Philippines, where people in the nation are pressuring the government to make it easier to obtain cheap contraception, a call that the pope feels has been influenced by other, less devout nations. He urged them to continue to practice the methods which are supported by the church, and not to give in to outside influences. While there will certainly be more dialogue on this topic in the future, it appears as though Pope Francis will continue to back the traditional forms of family planning.

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