Pope urges breastfeeding in Sistine Chapel

[marmitecat]

news.sky.com/story/1194030/pope-urges-breastfeeding-in-sistine-chapel

Go Pope Francis

I have to admit I felt a bit awkward feeding in church with dc1 so this is pretty much the ultimate way of dispelling that worry.

[gussiegrips]

I'm worried. I've long since lapsed, and if this guy keeps going I shall have no reason NOT to return to the Church.

My objections to Catholicism are reduced down to "no female priests".

Condoms, homosexuals, preaching what Jesus did, being simply kind - well, I'm going to have to go back...mind, I did always covet that black lace headscarf thingie, I think I could rock that look.

[moggiek]

gussie you and me, both!!

[curlew]

He hasn't actually said anything of any substance that's any different to any of the others- he's just said it in different words. And, as I said, without the Gucci shoes.

[endlesstidying]

I agree this pope is saying great things.

I've breastfed in church and had mixed reactions. Interestingly on one occassion the Vicar heard some parishoners tutting and broke off his sermon to say

"I'd just like to remind you all that Jesus said "let the little children come to me and do not hinder them" then he smoothly carried on with his sermon. Think my local vicar would get on well with the pope

[WillBeatJanuaryBlues]

good on him, I went to a carol service on xmas eve, my baby made a few, like maybe 4 loud noises, not cries just sort of grunts, the looks we got, we had to leave after two carols.
I had already said to my DH if she cries or makes a disturbance we will take her out, try her again then if no joy, go...

however she wasnt making a disturbance, the glares and looks we got, it was awful.

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

I do like this Pope. Gussie, you mean the mantilla.) They are now only worn by very old or very devout women!! :0

[willyoulistentome]

Gussie and Moggie .. me too.

[curlew]

What great things has this pope said?

[TeacupDrama]

juggling they were already betrothed ( which back then was much more than an engagement), Joseph could have divorced her for adultery but he did not want to make a public example of her "adultery" hence the idea of a private divorce but following the angels visit they concluded the full wedding part at that point she would have moved to his or his parents home and the marriage would normally have been consummated so when they travelled from nazareth to bethlehem Joseph and Mary went as husband and wife

[edamsavestheday]

Have to admit, this Pope is growing on me. A Pope who quotes Jesus 'suffer //allow/permit the little children to come unto me' is a vast improvement on his predecessors.

Let's hope he hands over the priests accused of child abuse. Then we will know whether he means it.

[edamsavestheday]

(Sorry 'allow/permit' should have been in brackets, because I've realised in the past the word 'suffer' can be misinterpreted.)

[gussiegrips]

Amother - thank you, I never knew it's name!

I used to admire the black lace scarves as a kid. Just looked so elegant. Also, handy for a bad hair day.

Am going to practice looking devout and old. One of them shouldn't be a problem, at least!

[hottiebottie]

Curlew The best thing he's said lately was in a message he left on a convent answering machine, wishing the nuns a happy new year and asking what they were doing that they weren't able to answer the phone...

[happytalk13]

It irks me that somehow, parents need "permission" to feed their children.

I think he sounded pompous.

[Josie314]

Emailing that article to my father, who said "why can't you just bring a bottle?" when we were going to church. He was appalled I would even consider breast feeding there.

[Daykin]

I agree that it's irksome that parents need permission to feed babies but given the number of 'will I be able to feed my baby in church?' threads we get on here it seems that it is necessary. You would think that people who are getting their babies baptised would, perhaps, go to church enough to know that breastfeeding in church is normal, but some will be very new parents and some babies may be non church-going guests. Incidentally, those threads usually have a few posters who think you can't breastfeed in church, it's a relatively common myth.

[Farewelltoarms]

My catholic mother used to make me feed in the toilets. I'm sure she didn't see it as part of her Catholicism, but it definitely tallied up to the whole body shame thing that she had going on.

[Farewelltoarms]

Btw she didn't make me feed in the toilets rather than at church, just anywhere in public. If we were in a cafe (in North London so hardly unused to it), she used to lean over me screeching 'discreetly, discreetly' which really helped.

[curlew]

So. Wow.

Pope leaves answer phone message for old friend.
Pope says it's OK to feed babies in the Sistine Chapel.
Pope says it's OK to be gay so long as you don't actually do anything gay.

What an incredibly free thinking, liberal, wonderful human being. Presumably he'll get round to child abuse, the use of condoms, the Vatican Bank and the role of women shortly?

[curlew]

That "wow" should have been in an Ironic Type Face.

My point was that, apart from the "humble" trappings he has actually not done or said anything that any of his predecessors have done or said.

But his PR machine is better. He is a sort of Apostolic Boris Johnson.

[newyearhere]

He is not saying anything new. Still no possibility of women priests. Still gay people only acceptable if not sexually active. Still sanctioning of condom use in sub Saharan Africa where HIV is rife.......Don't be taken in by the absence of glitz.

Curlew I couldn't agree more. How sad that this church has gone so far, that even just one comment about breastfeeding makes the Pope appear so incredibly enlightened...

[newyearhere]

i.e. it's all relative!

[specialsubject]

he's also just spoken out on the evil of abortion.

as usual, without offering to personally adopt all the unwanted babies (including those that will die at birth or need 24 hour care for life). Funny that anti-abortionists never offer practical help..

[HoneyandRum]

If you are reading the news you will see he is "getting round" to the Vatican Bank and the role of women. I know absolutely no Catholic who is on the side of any priest/bishop/person who is responsible for or covers-up any form of child abuse/torture. The Catholic congregations in the world-wide church have let their local churches and the Vatican know their thoughts and anger on this kind of criminal activity. Pope Francis has pulled together a group of cardinals from all over the world to advise him on big changes in structure and policy. One of them is Sean O'Malley who had the unenviable task of coming into Boston to serve the community after all the devastation of the child abuse scandals there.

In my own experience in the USA the bishops had put in place a series of child protection policies since this whole thing blew up. In our parish no one could work with children without a police background check and a course from the Diocese in child safety and appropriate behavior. Anything inappropriate should be reported immediately to the police.

In the Catholic church Bishops do have a certain amount of autonomy for their diocese, so local law and custom would also have to change (there are Catholics on all continents and most countries). But the Vatican should do everything in their power to enforce from the church's side (Canon Law) the protection of children as the first priority. I know no Catholic who thinks differently.