VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - MARCH 29: Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he leaves St. Peter's Square at the the end of Palm Sunday Mass on March 29, 2015 in Vatican City, Vatican. On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem, where he was put to death. It marks the official beginning of Holy Week during which Christians observe the death of Christ before celebrations begin on Easter. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Pope Francis urged Catholics across the globe to avoid pornography, stating that, “satisfaction without relationship” has the potential to destroy relationships and lead to different forms of addiction.
On Wednesday, in St. Peters Square, he gave a speech on the “vice of lust,” arguing that pornography undermines sexual pleasure and could pose problems for relationships and love within the context of marriage.
“We have to defend love, the love of the heart, of the mind, of the body, pure love in the giving of oneself to the other.” He then added, “And this is the beauty of sexual intercourse. Winning the battle against lust, against the ‘objectification’ of the other, can be a lifelong endeavor.”
He went on to describe that abstaining from pornography and lust will preserve the beauty that God intended. The Pope then went on to say that sexuality is important and can have negative consequences if utilized outside the context of marriage.
He described sex in a way that honors God and that it is important to demonstrate patience and self-control outside of a union blessed by God.
“It involves all the senses,” the Pope said. “It dwells both in the body and in the psyche, and this is very beautiful; but if it is not disciplined with patience, if it is not inscribed in a relationship and in a story where two individuals transform it into a loving dance, it turns into a chain that deprives human beings of freedom.”
This is not the first time that Pope Francis has called for a fight against pornography. In 2019, he called out major tech companies, urging them to protect children from seeing mature material that was not meant for them.
In December 2023, Pope Francis sparked controversy within the Catholic church by allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. This decision received major pushback from participating Catholics as well as priests and bishops across the world, but Pope Francis responded to these comments by saying, “The Lord can bless anyone.”
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