Pope open to discuss contraception as response to Zika epidemic

February 18, 2016

Pope Francis hinted that the use of contraceptives may be morally acceptable as a response to the Zika epidemic, during an question-and-answer session on February 18.

Speaking to reporters who accompanied him on his return flight to Rome, after a visit to Mexico, the Pope said that “avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil.” While abortion cannot ever be justified, he suggested, avoiding pregnancy could be a “lesser evil” in light of the alleged dangers of birth defects.

During an interview session that proved controversial even by the standards of this pontificate, the Pope said:

• US presidential candidate Donald Trump is “not Christian” if he believes that a wall is the best solution to immigration problems (see today’s separate CWN headline story);
• He would not comment on the Italian government’s proposal to allow for registration of civil unions because “the Pope doesn’t get mixed up in Italian politics.”
• Bishops who have moved pedophile priests from parish to parish should resign;
• Pope Benedict XVI was—even before his election as Pontiff—instrumental in leading the fight against sexual abuse; he was “the brave one who helped so many open this door;”
• He would not comment on what was said during a "private conversation" with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, but "I walked out of it happy, and he did too."
• The Church must do more to prepare couples for marriage; the Pontiff pointed out that priests prepare for their vocation for eight years, while engaged couples have only a few counseling sessions.
• Catholics who divorce and remarry must be integrated into the life of the Church—but, the Pope cautioned, “Integrating in the Church doesn’t mean receiving Communion.”

In his answer to a question about the Zika epidemic, the Pope did not say that contraception would be licit. But, invoking a decision by Pope Paul VI, he said that in some circumstances it might be allowed. He emphasized throughout that abortion could never be justified. He said:

Abortion is not the lesser of two evils. It is a crime. It is to throw someone out in order to save another. That’s what the Mafia does. It is a crime, an absolute evil. On the ‘lesser evil,’ avoiding pregnancy, we are speaking in terms of the conflict between the fifth and sixth commandment. Paul VI, a great man, in a difficult situation in Africa, permitted nuns to use contraceptives in cases of rape.

Don’t confuse the evil of avoiding pregnancy by itself, with abortion. Abortion is not a theological problem, it is a human problem, it is a medical problem. You kill one person to save another, in the best case scenario. Or to live comfortably, no? It’s against the Hippocratic oaths doctors must take. It is an evil in and of itself, but it is not a religious evil in the beginning, no, it’s a human evil. Then obviously, as with every human evil, each killing is condemned.

On the other hand, avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil. In certain cases, as in this one, such as the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear. I would also urge doctors to do their utmost to find vaccines against these two mosquitoes that carry this disease. This needs to be worked on.

Pope Francis also addressed the disappointment that the leader of the Ukrainian Catholic Church had expressed about the text of the Pope’s joint statement with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. Major Archbishop Sviatolav Schevchuk had voiced his regret that the statement failed to condemn Russian aggression in Ukraine. After speaking about his personal friendship with the Ukrainian prelate, the Pope skirted the question of responsibility for the bloodshed in Ukraine, saying “everyone has their own idea of this war, who started it, what to do and it’s evident that this is a historical issue, but also a personal, historical, existential issue of that country and it speaks of the suffering.” All should agree, the Pope concluded, on the goal: “to make the war stop.”

 

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Further information:

• [Full text] Pope Francis' in-flight interview from Mexico to Rome (CNA)
• Pope Francis signals openness to birth control for Zika virus (Crux)
• Pope Francis Says Contraception Can Be Acceptable in Regions Hit by Zika Virus (Wall Street Journal)
• Pope Suggests Contraception Use May Be 'Lesser Evil' For Those Fearing Zika (NPR)