Pope Says Catholics Should Not Breed 'like Rabbits'

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Old55
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Rome (AFP) - Pope Francis appealed Monday for responsible parenting and said that good Catholics should not have to breed "like rabbits".

The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics said he defends the Church's teaching against artificial contraception but claimed that didn't mean "Christians should have children one after the other."

He told journalists on his flight back from his visit to the Philippines that he once asked a mother of seven children -- all born through caesarian section -- who was pregnant with her eighth if she wanted to "leave behind seven young orphans".

"She said, 'I trust in God.' But God gave us the means to be responsible," the pope said. "Some think, and excuse the term, that to be good Catholics, they must be like rabbits."

Francis said creating new life was "part of the sacrament of marriage" and in Manila had strongly defended his predecessor Paul VI's outlawing of artificial contraception for Catholics in 1968.

"Paul VI was worried by the growth of neo-Malthusianism" (which advocates restricting the number of children the poor can have) which tried "put a control on humanity... he was a prophet," he said.

"The key teaching of the Church is responsible parenthood. And how do we get that? By dialogue. There are marriage groups in the Church, experts and pastors," he added.

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i am bob
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Not the answer many people wanted or expected - on either side...

Still, it's an introduction to change!

Edited by I am bob
Google dork check s%cks! ie: spell is now dork... !
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Old55
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A more detailed account of what the Pope said;

 

http://www.inquisitr.com/1769576/pope-francis-birth-control-dont-breed-like-rabbits-catholics-responsible-parenting/

 

While in flight, returning home from the Philippines capital, Manila, on Monday, Pope Francis had some plain words for Catholics about family planning. The church’s ban on contraception doesn’t mean Catholics should breed “like rabbits,” the pontiff said during an hour-long news conference.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, while Pope Francis has shown a more conservative side condemning irresponsible proliferation, he affirmed the Catholic churches opposition to artificial contraception while in the Philippines. He opposed the Philippine government’s decision to introduce a family planning law — allowing public health centers to hand out contraceptives, such as condoms and pills, and teach sex education in schools. In a country where more than 80 percent of the 100 million population is Roman Catholic, the church opposed the law, effectively blocking its passage for 13 years, for fear it would lead to a spike in abortions. The Philippines has one of the highest birth rates in Asia.

In the mid-flight interview, Pope Francis wanted to admonish Catholics who felt compelled to breed “like rabbits” because of the church’s ban on contraception.

“Some think, excuse me if I use the word, that in order to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits – but no.”

The pope instead said “responsible parenting” should be practiced, reported the Richmond Times. Parents should consider natural family planning methods already approved by the church, adding there were “many ways that are allowed” to practice natural family planning.

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.

Pope Francis views the push of the government to change traditional family values as the “ideological colonization” of Western ideas in the developing world.

In the interview, the pope indirectly criticized rich countries and international organizations that he said tried to influence lifestyles and morals of young people in poorer nations. According to Reuters, he even compared their coercion of the poor to that of Nazi and Fascist propagandists.

“They introduce to the people an idea that has nothing to do with the nation. Yes, with groups of people, but not with the nation. And they colonize the people with an idea which changes, or wants to change, a mentality or a structure.”

“But this is not new. This was done by the dictatorships of the last century,” he said, referring to indoctrination of youth done by Nazis and Italian fascists with their programs, Hitler Youth and Balilla.

“When imposed conditions come from imperial colonizers, they search to make people lose their own identity and make a sameness.”

Edited by Old55
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MikeB
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He never used the word "breed". Makes good headlines though.

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Old55
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He never used the word "breed". Makes good headlines though.

Pope Francis appealed Monday for responsible parenting and said that good Catholics should not have to breed "like rabbits".

 

Pope Francis had some plain words for Catholics about family planning. The church’s ban on contraception doesn’t mean Catholics should breed “like rabbits,” the pontiff said during an hour-long news conference.

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MikeB
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The actual quote was "Some people think that - excuse my expression here - that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits." 

Watch it yourself.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30890989

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Mike S
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Finally someone to stand up to the catholic clergy here in the Phils that insists that the people need to keep having more children .... totally a refreshing and sensible train of thought ..... but as we know with the sex drive of Filipino men that ain't gonna happen with all the children being born out of wedlock and by that I mean girlfriends .... mistresses and soiled doves .... some of the worst offenders are movie stars and other important people (some have 8-10 and more illegitimate children) and are proud of it .... solution ..... there is none ...... as long as they can go about their pleasures with out penalties .... such as child support and legal actions ..... in some ways China had the right idea ..... JMHO

:cheersty:  

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JJReyes
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in some ways China had the right idea ....

Some will disagree.

Mao's policy was more Chinese, more power. After Mao's death, the policy changed to one child only. The current prosperity comes from the large bubble of young Chinese workers (cheap labor). As they age, the demographic will change from pyramid to diamond shape to inverted pyramid. The same thing is happening in the West except a liberal immigration policy increases the labor pool. What will happen in China is one child will support one set of parents and possibly one set of grandparents. Twenty years from now, the Philippines will be the only Asian country whose population demographics will remain shaped like a pyramid.

The huge poverty level population is the result of corruption. Solve the problem of graft and the Philippines will be one of the most prosperous country in Asia.

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Methersgate
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in some ways China had the right idea ....

Some will disagree.

Mao's policy was more Chinese, more power. After Mao's death, the policy changed to one child only. The current prosperity comes from the large bubble of young Chinese workers (cheap labor). As they age, the demographic will change from pyramid to diamond shape to inverted pyramid. The same thing is happening in the West except a liberal immigration policy increases the labor pool. What will happen in China is one child will support one set of parents and possibly one set of grandparents. Twenty years from now, the Philippines will be the only Asian country whose population demographics will remain shaped like a pyramid.

The huge poverty level population is the result of corruption. Solve the problem of graft and the Philippines will be one of the most prosperous country in Asia.

 

"Up to a point, Lord Copper!"

 

The poverty is the consequence of under employment and unemployment, because the population is growing faster than jobs can be created, hanks in part to the unattractive climate for foreign direct investment (i agree that a contributor to that unattractive climate for investment is corruption, but there are raft of unhelpful laws as well, and great uncertainty over "who is in charge".

 

A developing economy cannot form capital (from savings) at a sufficiently fast rate to create employment for everyone. Hence you must either import capital from the rich world, as most countries do, or export your surplus labour, as the Philippines does. Since the value added by the work of an OCW remains in the host country, and only the surplus of their wages over subsistence is remitted, the Philippines loses out. 

 

The standard of education is also pretty dire. Compare China where every child gets the very best education that his or her parents can find, because they know they will depend on their child's earnings in their old age.

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Kuya John
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Interesting Topic Guy's

Years ago the Church realising you cannot expect people to continue to create child after child, educated woman to the"rhythm method"which apparently does work!

Trouble is the men were not playing the same tune! :7522:

Edited by Kuya John
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