In a recent speech, Pope Francis referred to sexual pleasure as a “gift from God” when discussing the hazards of pornography. The 87-year-old religious leader conveyed to his followers that while “sex was something to be cherished,” it is currently being “undermined by pornography,”

“Lust plunders, it robs”

“We must defend love. Winning against the battle of lust can be a lifelong undertaking,” he said. The Pope, born in Argentina, warned that porn could give rise to addictive behaviours, and that lust leads to 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 said, according to The Telegraph.

Pope Francis has addressed the perils of pornography on multiple occasions. In October 2022, he referred to soft porn as a temptation that “weakens the priestly heart.” The religious leader openly acknowledged being aware of priests and nuns who watched porn, advising them to eliminate temptation by removing such content from their phones.

“It’s a vice that so many people have”

“Each of you thinks 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 lay women, and even priests and nuns,” Pope Francis said.

“And 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 continued.

Pope Francis, known for his progressive stance within the Catholic Church, has been openly discussing topics related to sexuality. In the past year, he officially approved the blessing of same-sex couples by priests, provided it doesn’t become part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.

Responding to criticism from some priests resisting the new rules, he suggested that those opposing the changes had drawn “ugly conclusions” due to a lack of understanding.

“One of the beautiful things that God has given”

Earlier, in a documentary released in April 2023, Pope Francis praised the virtues of sex, referring to it as “one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person.”

“To express yourself sexually is a richness. So anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness,” he also said, referring to masturbation.