Pope Francis has said in an address to priests and seminarians that watching online pornography “weakens the priestly heart”.
“Each of you think if you’ve had the experience or had the temptation of digital pornography. It’s a vice that so many people have, so many laymen, so many laywomen, and even priests and nuns,” the pontiff was quoted as saying to priests and seminarians on Monday.
“I’m not just talking about criminal pornography like child abuse, where you see live cases of abuse: that’s already degeneracy. But of the more ‘normal’ pornography,” he said.
A statement carrying the remarks by the pope was published by the Vatican on Wednesday.
The 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church also cautioned against using mobile phones for consuming pornographic content.
“The pure heart, the heart that receives Jesus every day, cannot receive this pornographic information,” he said.
He suggested that members should “delete such things from their mobile phones”, adding that they should do so to keep temptation out of their hands.
“I tell you, this is a thing that weakens the spirit,” the Pope explained.
According to church teachings, pornography is an offence against chastity.
He said while he does not use a mobile phone himself, such devices should be used by members of the Catholic Church to communicate better.
“I don’t use them because I came late, you know? When I was ordained a bishop, 30 years ago, they gave me one as a present, a mobile phone, which was like a shoe, about this big. I said: ‘No, I can’t use this one.’ And finally I said: ‘I’ll make a call.’ I called my sister, said hello, then I gave it back. ‘Give me something else.’ I couldn’t use it. Because my psychology was off or I was lazy, we don’t know,” he was quoted as saying in the statement by Fox News.
He added that news on mobile phone devices as well as social media should be used cautiously.
