Pope Francis speaks during an in-flight press conference from Malta, April 3, 2022. / Vatican Media.
Rome Newsroom, Jul 30, 2022 / 04:38 am (CNA).
Can the Church’s teaching on birth control change? During Pope Francis’ return flight from Canada, a journalist asked him about the possibility of a development in the Church’s teaching on contraception.
“This is very timely. But know that dogma, morality, is always in a path of development, but development in the same direction,” Pope Francis responded on July 30.
The pope went on to say that he thinks that the development of Catholic moral doctrine, in general, is fine but recommended in particular that it follows the rules outlined by the 5th-century theologian St. Vincent of Lérins.
Pope Francis explained that St. Vincent of Lérins taught “that true doctrine in order to go forward, to develop, must not be quiet, it develops ut annis consolidetur, dilatetur tempore, sublimetur aetate.”
“That is, it consolidates with time, it expands and consolidates, and becomes more steady, but is always ‘progressing.’ That is why the duty of theologians is research, theological reflection. You cannot do theology with a ‘no’ in front of it … the magisterium will be the one to say no,” the pope added.
Francis also addressed the recent controversy over a book published by the Vatican’s publishing house, which discussed “the possible legitimacy of contraception in certain cases.”
The book “Theological Ethics of Life: Scripture, Tradition, and Practical Challenges” was a 528-page synthesis of a theological seminar sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life in 2021.
Pope Francis said: “On the issue of contraception, I know there is a publication out on this issue and other marriage issues.”
“These are the proceedings of a congress and in a congress there are hypotheses, then they discuss among themselves and make proposals. We have to be clear: those who made this congress did their duty because they tried to move forward in doctrine, but in an ecclesial sense, not out, as I said with that rule of St. Vincent of Lerins.”
On the subject of birth control, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).”
St. Paul VI issued Humanae Vitae, the landmark encyclical reaffirming Church teaching against contraception, on July 25, 1968.
In the encyclical, Paul VI warned of serious social consequences if the widespread use of contraceptives became accepted. He predicted that it would lead to infidelity, the lowering of morality, a loss of respect for women, and the belief that humans have “unlimited dominion” over the body.
Pope Francis’ press conference on the papal plane touched on many topics, including his potential retirement and his response to the German “Synodal Way.” Pope Francis also described the forced removal of Indigenous children from their families and their treatment in Canada’s residential school system as a form of “cultural genocide.”
During his week-long journey to Canada, the pope traveled to Edmonton, Québec, and Iqaluit on what he called a “penitential pilgrimage” to apologize to the country’s indigenous communities.
Upon his arrival in Rome on Saturday morning, the pope went to Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major to spend a moment in prayer before an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Rome Newsroom, Mar 29, 2021 / 09:00 am (CNA).- Indonesia’s Catholic bishops have strongly condemned the Palm Sunday suicide bombing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral on the island of Sulawesi which injured at least 19 people.The two attackers, who… […]
Pallbearers carry the wooden coffin of Pope Francis, marked with a cross, into St. Peter’s Square for the funeral Mass on April 26, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Apr 26, 2025 / 05:03 am (CNA).
More than 200,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday as the world said goodbye to the first Latin American pope who led the Catholic Church for the past 12 years.
Under the bright Roman sun and amid crowds extending down the Via della Conciliazione, the funeral Mass unfolded within the great colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica. Heads of state, religious leaders, and pilgrims from across the globe gathered for the historic farewell.
An aerial view of St. Peter’s Square filled with thousands of mourners, clergy, and dignitaries gathered for Pope Francis’s funeral Mass under clear blue skies in Vatican City on April 26, 2025.`. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Mass, delivering a homily that paid tribute to Francis’ missionary vision, human warmth, spontaneity, witness to mercy, and “charisma of welcome and listening.”
“Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate,” Re said.
Pope Francis “often used the image of the Church as a ‘field hospital’ after a battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.”
As bells tolled solemnly, the funeral rite began with the intonation of the entrance antiphon: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”
The late pope’s closed plain wooden coffin lay in front of the altar throughout the Mass.
A view of the coffin of Pope Francis resting before the altar at the funeral Mass on St. Peter’s Square, April 26, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
“In this majestic Saint Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many times and presided over great gatherings over the past twelve years, we are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains,” Re said.
“With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love,” he added.
View of St. Peter’s Basilica during the Funeral Mass of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025. Peter Gagnon / EWTN
Among the more than 50 heads of state present were U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, alongside former President Joe Biden. Also in attendance were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva joined the throng of international dignitaries along with representatives of religious traditions from around the world.
Royal families also paid their respects, with Prince William representing King Charles III and Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia seated near the altar.
Pilgrims arrived before sunrise to claim their spots in St. Peter’s Square for the Mass with the first in line camping out the night before.
The funeral followed the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the official liturgical order for papal funerals, which was updated at Pope Francis’ own request in 2024. Scripture readings included Acts 10:34-43, Philippians 3:20–4:1, Psalm 22, and the Gospel of John 21:15-19 — a passage in which the risen Christ tells Peter: “Feed my sheep.”
More than 200 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests concelebrated the funeral Mass. More than 4,000 journalists representing 1,800 media outlets reported on the event. All told, the Holy See said more than 250,000 mourners attended.
In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on key moments in Pope Francis’ pontificate from his risk-defying trip to Iraq to visit Christians communities persecuted by the Islamic State to his Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico.
“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions,” the cardinal said, causing the crowd to erupt in spontaneous applause.
Pope Francis’ coffin lies in St. Peter’s Square during the papal funeral Mass on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Credit: EWTN News
“Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He forgives, whatever the situation might be of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path,” Re reflected. “Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis.”
The cardinal presided over the final commendation and farewell for Pope Francis, praying: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us commend to God’s tender mercy the soul of Pope Francis, bishop of the Catholic Church, who confirmed his brothers and sisters in the faith of the resurrection.”
“Let us pray to God our Father through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit; may he deliver him from death, welcome him to eternal peace and raise up him on the last day,” he said.
After the crowd chanted the Litany of Saints in Latin, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, offered a final prayer: “O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant that your departed servant and our bishop, Pope Francis, whom you made successor of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may happily enjoy forever in your presence in heaven the mysteries of your grace and compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth.”
A poignant moment followed as Eastern Catholic patriarchs, major archbishops, and metropolitans from the “sui iuris” Churches approached the coffin while a choir chanted a Greek prayer from the Byzantine Funeral Office.
Re blessed the coffin with holy water and incense as the choir sang in Latin: “I know that my Redeemer lives: on the last day I shall rise again.”
At the end of the Mass, the traditional antiphon “In Paradisum” was sung in Latin, asking for the angels to guide the pope’s soul to heaven.
“May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come and welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem. May choirs of angels welcome you and with Lazarus, who is poor no longer, may you have eternal rest.”
In keeping with his wishes, Pope Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes alongside his predecessors. Instead, his body will be taken in procession through the streets of Rome in a vehicle to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church he visited over 100 times in his lifetime to pray before an icon of the Virgin Mary, “Salus Populi Romani,” particularly before and after his papal journeys.
Pope Francis’ wooden coffin is transported on the popemobile through the streets of Rome as crowds of faithful line the procession route from St. Peter’s Basilica to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, April 26, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
In Rome’s most important Marian basilica, Pope Francis will be laid to rest in a simple tomb marked with a single word: Franciscus.
Remembering Pope Francis
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and entered the Society of Jesus at age 21. Following his ordination in 1969, he served as a Jesuit provincial, seminary rector, and professor before St. John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. He became archbishop of the Argentine capital in 1998 and was created cardinal in 2001.
The surprise election of Cardinal Bergoglio on March 13, 2013, at age 76 marked several historic firsts: He became the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to choose the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to poverty, peace, and creation.
His 12-year pontificate was characterized by a focus on mercy, care for creation, and attention to what he called the “peripheries” of both the Church and society. He made 47 apostolic journeys outside Italy, though he never visited his native Argentina.
During his tenure, Pope Francis canonized 942 saints — more than any other pope in history — including his predecessors John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. He published four encyclicals and seven apostolic exhortations while promulgating 75 motu proprio documents.
Throughout his papacy, Francis significantly reshaped the College of Cardinals through 10 consistories, creating 163 new cardinals. His appointments reflected his vision of a global Church, elevating prelates from the peripheries and creating cardinals in places that had never before had one, including Mongolia and South Sudan.
Health challenges marked the pope’s final years. He underwent surgery in July 2021 and in June 2023. In November 2023, he suffered from pulmonary inflammation, and in February 2025, he was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for bronchitis and a respiratory infection.
His papacy faced unprecedented challenges, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, during which he offered historic moments of prayer for humanity, notably the extraordinary urbi et orbi blessing in an empty St. Peter’s Square in March 2020. He also repeatedly called for peace amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Holy Land.
Francis convoked four synods, including the Synod on Synodality, whose second session concluded in October 2024. He implemented significant reforms of the Roman Curia and took several steps to address the clergy abuse crisis, including the 2019 motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi.
Pope Francis’ funeral marks the first day in the Catholic Church’s traditional nine-day mourning period that will include nine days of requiem Masses to be offered for the repose of his soul.
“Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, ‘Do not forget to pray for me,’ Re recalled at the end of his homily.
“Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.”
Vatican City, Jan 13, 2022 / 04:10 am (CNA).
Visitors to the Vatican Museums must show a pass certifying full vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 and wear medical-grade masks under new measures announ… […]
9 Comments
Yes, “development in the same direction” (Pope Francis)…
The wisdom of the cited 5th-century St. Vincent Lerins is the core, of course, to 19th-century St. John Henry Cardinal Newman (the “father of the Second Vatican Council”), who spells out the message in his “Development of Christian Doctrine.” And which, or course, was not unknown to St. Pope Paul VI when he already (!) clarified moral theology in response to theologians of the day who are still hanging around. (A clarification beautifully fleshed out in Pope St. John Paul II in his “Theology of the Body”.) In “The Development of Christian Doctrine,” Newman appeals, in part, to a biological analogy whereby growth (“development”) is one thing, while corruption is another. Unlike the novelty of any “New Paradigm” misappropriated from the research method of the natural sciences:
“I venture to set down seven notes of varying cogency, independence, and applicability to discriminate healthy developments of an idea from its state of corruption and decay, as follows: “There is no corruption if it retains:
(1) One and the same TYPE [doctrine/natural law v. disconnected pastoral accompaniment?],
(2) The same PRINCIPLES [sound philosophy v. neo-Hegelianism, e.g., any distortion of the four cryptic principles advanced in Evengalium Gaudi],
(3) The same ORGANIZATION [the Barque of Peter v. all religions framed equivalently (?) as ‘the will of God’?];
(4) If its beginnings ANTICIPATE its subsequent phases [Scripture/Catechism/Veritatis Splendor v. Germanic normalization of homosexual activity, etc.?],
(5) Its later phenomena PROTECT and subserve its earlier [Veritatis Splendor/Familiarus Consortio v. the published discussions by the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Life, in ‘Theological Ethics of Life: Scripture, Tradition, and Practical Challenges,’ 2021];
(6) If it has a power of assimilation and REVIVAL [New Evangelization v. mutations nested within Amazonia and Germania?], and
(7) A vigorous ACTION from first to last…” [vigorous as in ‘steadfastness’–because (!) fully engaging new challenges and double-speak?].”
Is there any wonder what St. Vincent of Lerins himself would say, specifically, about the “direction” of the unfolding “seamless garment”: the Sexual Revolution, then our contraceptive culture, then abortion and euthanasia, then the LBBTQ uprising and anti-binary gender theory, and then the block-party fantasies of the German “synodal way”?
A plea for enlightenment and godliness. Let the leadership be consumed with desire for virtue and true christianity.
Psalm 119:73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Matthew 5:1-48 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …
Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
Thank you for your zeal the considering the truth.
A celibate clerical caste system who for centuries hailed sexual relations in marriage as unworthy or outright sinful is to be disregarded , as THOMAS AQUINAS stated ‘ priests should be celibate lest they touch the sacred vessels defiled’ HE WAS REFERENCING MARRIED MEN WHO HAD RELATIONS WITH THEIR WIVES BEING PRIESTS, THIS ATTITUDE PREVAILED FOR CENTURIES
Theological discussion if hypothetical [a Catholic tradition] may have value. Or it may not, Pope Francis acknowledging simply hypothetical proposals, then adding that the participants were seeking a Church advancement rather than a Lerinian response. That from a pontiff is a consideration of the hypothesis.
If there’s a known percentage of Catholics who abide by Humane Vitae on contraception it is a minority likely somewhere below 10% [some surveys 2%]. Few priests address contraception from the pulpit, as if Humane Vitae, the Catechism 2370 don’t exist. Unfortunately, Paul VI spoke correctly, that “contraception will lead to infidelity, the lowering of morality, a loss of respect for women, and the belief that humans have unlimited dominion over the body”. Divorce among Catholics is now on par with non Catholics.
Discussion on finding general legitimacy for contraception doesn’t make sense. Unless, legitimization would remove the penalty for so many on what 2370 teaches is intrinsically evil. What is reasonable considering the dramatic coincidence of contraceptive use and the breakdown of morality is an increased effort to address the issue. Furthermore, if there’s a marker for the wide loss of faith in the Eucharistic real presence, the sacrament of life, it’s the deprecation of the value of life from its transmission to birth.
A change on what the Church has declared an intrinsic evil will precipitate reconsideration of all intrinsically evil acts. Is that the hidden stratagem, a Synod on Synodality agenda?.
It is clear that our Pope, who has promised he would not change doctrine, (he is a child of the Church), will continue to treat anything that is intrinsically evil as evil. In this interview, which covered many subjects besides contraceptives, he said: But know that dogma, morality, is always in a path of development, but development in the same direction.” In the same direction is a critical part of the sentence which must not be trivialized or ignored.
Every serious Catholic knows what is going on here without the minute parsing of the bafflegab persiflage because we have already seen it so many times already in the past 9 years.
Yes, “development in the same direction” (Pope Francis)…
The wisdom of the cited 5th-century St. Vincent Lerins is the core, of course, to 19th-century St. John Henry Cardinal Newman (the “father of the Second Vatican Council”), who spells out the message in his “Development of Christian Doctrine.” And which, or course, was not unknown to St. Pope Paul VI when he already (!) clarified moral theology in response to theologians of the day who are still hanging around. (A clarification beautifully fleshed out in Pope St. John Paul II in his “Theology of the Body”.) In “The Development of Christian Doctrine,” Newman appeals, in part, to a biological analogy whereby growth (“development”) is one thing, while corruption is another. Unlike the novelty of any “New Paradigm” misappropriated from the research method of the natural sciences:
“I venture to set down seven notes of varying cogency, independence, and applicability to discriminate healthy developments of an idea from its state of corruption and decay, as follows: “There is no corruption if it retains:
(1) One and the same TYPE [doctrine/natural law v. disconnected pastoral accompaniment?],
(2) The same PRINCIPLES [sound philosophy v. neo-Hegelianism, e.g., any distortion of the four cryptic principles advanced in Evengalium Gaudi],
(3) The same ORGANIZATION [the Barque of Peter v. all religions framed equivalently (?) as ‘the will of God’?];
(4) If its beginnings ANTICIPATE its subsequent phases [Scripture/Catechism/Veritatis Splendor v. Germanic normalization of homosexual activity, etc.?],
(5) Its later phenomena PROTECT and subserve its earlier [Veritatis Splendor/Familiarus Consortio v. the published discussions by the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Life, in ‘Theological Ethics of Life: Scripture, Tradition, and Practical Challenges,’ 2021];
(6) If it has a power of assimilation and REVIVAL [New Evangelization v. mutations nested within Amazonia and Germania?], and
(7) A vigorous ACTION from first to last…” [vigorous as in ‘steadfastness’–because (!) fully engaging new challenges and double-speak?].”
Is there any wonder what St. Vincent of Lerins himself would say, specifically, about the “direction” of the unfolding “seamless garment”: the Sexual Revolution, then our contraceptive culture, then abortion and euthanasia, then the LBBTQ uprising and anti-binary gender theory, and then the block-party fantasies of the German “synodal way”?
A plea for enlightenment and godliness. Let the leadership be consumed with desire for virtue and true christianity.
Psalm 119:73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Matthew 5:1-48 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …
Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
Thank you for your zeal the considering the truth.
A celibate clerical caste system who for centuries hailed sexual relations in marriage as unworthy or outright sinful is to be disregarded , as THOMAS AQUINAS stated ‘ priests should be celibate lest they touch the sacred vessels defiled’ HE WAS REFERENCING MARRIED MEN WHO HAD RELATIONS WITH THEIR WIVES BEING PRIESTS, THIS ATTITUDE PREVAILED FOR CENTURIES
Theological discussion if hypothetical [a Catholic tradition] may have value. Or it may not, Pope Francis acknowledging simply hypothetical proposals, then adding that the participants were seeking a Church advancement rather than a Lerinian response. That from a pontiff is a consideration of the hypothesis.
If there’s a known percentage of Catholics who abide by Humane Vitae on contraception it is a minority likely somewhere below 10% [some surveys 2%]. Few priests address contraception from the pulpit, as if Humane Vitae, the Catechism 2370 don’t exist. Unfortunately, Paul VI spoke correctly, that “contraception will lead to infidelity, the lowering of morality, a loss of respect for women, and the belief that humans have unlimited dominion over the body”. Divorce among Catholics is now on par with non Catholics.
Discussion on finding general legitimacy for contraception doesn’t make sense. Unless, legitimization would remove the penalty for so many on what 2370 teaches is intrinsically evil. What is reasonable considering the dramatic coincidence of contraceptive use and the breakdown of morality is an increased effort to address the issue. Furthermore, if there’s a marker for the wide loss of faith in the Eucharistic real presence, the sacrament of life, it’s the deprecation of the value of life from its transmission to birth.
A change on what the Church has declared an intrinsic evil will precipitate reconsideration of all intrinsically evil acts. Is that the hidden stratagem, a Synod on Synodality agenda?.
It is clear that our Pope, who has promised he would not change doctrine, (he is a child of the Church), will continue to treat anything that is intrinsically evil as evil. In this interview, which covered many subjects besides contraceptives, he said: But know that dogma, morality, is always in a path of development, but development in the same direction.” In the same direction is a critical part of the sentence which must not be trivialized or ignored.
Every serious Catholic knows what is going on here without the minute parsing of the bafflegab persiflage because we have already seen it so many times already in the past 9 years.
Saint Vincent of Lerins – Pray for us.
Short answer to the title’s question – not if you want to get rid of abortion.
Did I say “yes”?
Should have been “no if you want to get rid of abortion”.