Pope Francis says sexual pleasure is “a gift from God”

Pope Francis in a Vatican Address has stated that sexual pleasure is “a gift from God” that should be “disciplined with patience” as part of a sermon series, per a new report from the BBC. 

The Pope’s Wednesday sermon also cautioned against the dangers of porn, which he said provides “satisfaction without relationship” and can be addicting. He also noted that lust is a “demon” vice that “devastates relationships between people,” claiming that “daily news is enough to document this reality.” He asked, “How many relationships that started out in the best way have later become toxic relationships?” The BBC reported that conservative Catholics were displeased with the Pope’s latest message. 

Last month, Pope Francis made headlines when he formally authorized allowing Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, in a move that harkened back to his views when he initially assumed the role of pontiff in 2020. “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” the Pope said at the time during an interview for a documentary. In December, the Vatican’s doctrine office said it is considering “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex” but ultimately leaving that decision to “the prudent and fatherly discernment of ordained ministers.”