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Pope says Catholic must practice 'responsible parenthood'
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MANILA, Philippines (CNS) -- Pope Francis stressed that, despite church doctrine against contraception, Catholics fail to practice "responsible parenthood" when they have too many children.
He also denounced the teaching of "gender theory" in schools, likening it to indoctrination of children by the Nazis and fascists.
The pope made his remarks Jan. 19 in an hour long news conference with reporters accompanying him back to Rome from a week long trip to Asia.
Pope Francis reaffirmed his rejection of population-control programs as an example of ideological colonization and his praise of Blessed Paul VI for defending Catholic teaching against contraception.
But "this does not mean a Christian must make children one after another," the pope said, citing the case of a woman who became pregnant an eighth time after giving birth to seven children via cesarean section.
"Does she want to leave seven orphans?" he said. "This is tempting God."
"Some people think -- excuse me for saying this -- that to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits," Pope Francis said, yet church teaching provides for "many licit ways" to limit reproduction.
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