Pope Francis made some unusual remarks about corporal punishment this week. During his weekly general audience, which was devoted to the role of fatherhood, Francis said that parents must be firm with their children while still respecting them.
"One time, I heard a father in a meeting with married couples say, 'I sometimes have to smack my children a bit, but never in the face so as to not humiliate them'," Francis said, adding that the man's remark was "beautiful."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
'Himalayan Viagra': the world's most coveted fungusUnder the Radar Demand swells for cordyceps sinensis, prized for its medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities
-
Today's political cartoons - February 16, 2025Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - welcome mat, goodbye aid, and more
-
5 preposterously funny cartoons about Trump's plan for the Gaza RivieraCartoons Artists take on a new solution, a special operation, and more
-
The Aga Khan, billionaire spiritual leader, dies at 88Speed Read Prince Karim Al-Hussaini's philanthropy funded hospitals, housing and schools in some of the world's poorest places
-
Biden awards Pope Francis highest US civilian honorSpeed Read President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
-
Church of England head resigns over abuse scandalSpeed Read Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby faced backlash over his handling of a notorious child abuser
-
Catholic synod ends with no resolution on womenSpeed Read At a major Vatican meeting, Pope Francis did not address ordaining women as deacons
-
The Vatican's stand on gender-affirming careSpeed Read A new published document condemns gender transition, calling it a threat to human dignity
-
The United Methodist Church has lost 20% of U.S. congregations in schism over LGBTQ rulesSpeed Read
-
Pope Francis investigates Texas bishop, accepts early resignation of embattled Tennessee prelateSpeed Read
