Pope Francis believes that sexual pleasure is a gift from God, but it should be disciplined with patience.
Pope Francis cautioned against pornography, which he believes brings satisfaction without a relationship and can lead to addiction.
As part of a series of sermons on vices and virtues, Pope Francis gave a Vatican address on what he referred to as the demon of lust
After facing criticism from conservative Catholics about his new head of doctrine, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, who was appointed last July, came under fire for his book ‘Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality’, which he wrote and published in the late 1990s.
Conservative commentators have criticized Cardinal Fernández’s book ‘Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality.
With one commentator saying it showed he was ‘unfit’ to be prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
During Wednesday’s general audience, Pope Francis talked about the vice of lust, stating that it devastates relationships between people and citing examples from daily news.
He also questioned how many relationships that started out positively later became toxic.
It’s worth noting that this is not the first time that Pope Francis or Cardinal Fernández have faced criticism from conservative members of the Catholic community.
Cardinal Fernández introduced guidelines allowing priests to bless same-sex couples’ relationships in December, which was approved by Pope Francis.
Conservative members of the Catholic community, including Cardinal Gerhard Müller, denounced the Vatican’s document, with Cardinal Müller calling it a sacrilegious and blasphemous act.
American conservatives also released statements condemning the decision, and tensions rose when the Pope evicted outspoken critic US Cardinal Raymond Burke from his Vatican apartment and revoked his salary.