Pope Francis Affirms Sexual Pleasure as ‘A Gift from God,’ Warns Against Pornography

Pope Francis Affirms Sexual Pleasure as ‘A Gift from God,’ Warns Against Pornography.

Pope Francis delivered a recent address emphasizing sexual pleasure as a “gift from God” while cautioning against the perils of pornography.

The 87-year-old religious leader shared with his followers that, despite being a cherished aspect of human experience, sex is being undermined by the pervasive influence of pornography.

“We must defend love. Winning against the battle of lust can be a lifelong undertaking,” Pope Francis declared. He expressed concerns that pornography could foster addictive behaviors, leading to what he deemed a “dangerous vice.”

“Lust plunders, it robs, it consumes in haste, it does not want to listen to the other but only to its own need and pleasure; lust judges every courtship a bore, it does not seek that synthesis between reason, drive and feeling that would help us to conduct existence wisely,” the pope stated, as reported by the Telegraph.

This isn’t the first instance of the head of the Roman Catholic Church addressing the dangers of pornography. In October 2022, Pope Francis referred to soft porn as a temptation that “weakens the priestly heart” and acknowledged the presence of priests and nuns engaging in porn. He advised them to eliminate the temptation by removing it from their devices.

Pope Francis, known for his progressive stance within the Catholic Church, has been candid in discussing matters related to sexuality. Last year, he officially approved priests blessing same-sex couples outside regular Church rituals. In response to resistance within the Church, he dismissed it as “ugly conclusions” born out of a lack of understanding.

In earlier statements, the Pope praised the virtues of sex in a documentary released in April 2023, referring to it as “one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person.” He also touched on the topic of masturbation, stating, “To express yourself sexually is a richness. Anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness.”