Pope Francis just made news — but it wasn't about abortion

A pope criticizing abortion? How's that news? Now, endorsing breastfeeding in church....

Pope Francis
(Image credit: (TONY GENTILE/Reuters/Corbis))

On Monday, Pope Francis had some tough words about abortion. Terminating pregnancies is another manifestation of our "throwaway culture," but "unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food or disposable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as if they were unnecessary," he told foreign diplomats in his first annual "State of the World" address. "It is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day."

AFP says that was Pope Francis' "strongest condemnation yet of abortion." They were certainly "his toughest remarks to date on abortion," agrees Reuters, suggesting that Francis was railroaded by restive Catholic conservatives into strengthening his public statements against abortion. The Associated Press concurs with the conservative strong-arming, explaining that unlike his recent predecessors, this pope "prefers to speak less about the church's moralizing rules and more about its positive, welcoming message."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.