The Pope has said that he is “truly sorry” for offending large families by saying that there was no need for Catholics to breed “like rabbits”.
Francis caused dismay among parents of larger Catholic families when he advocated “responsible parenthood” advising that three children was “about right” for a family on his flight home from a visit to the Philippines.
Archbishop Giovanni Becciu, Substitute at the Secretary of State, has apologised on Francis’ behalf saying “the Pope is truly sorry” that his remarks about large families “caused such disorientation”.
Archbishop Becciu told the Italian bishops’ newspaper Avvenire that the Pope “absolutely did not want to disregard the beauty and the value of large families.”
Francis, himself the eldest of five children had told an inflight press conference how a woman he knows was pregnant with her eighth child after having the first seven by C-section. He said he had “rebuked” her, saying, “But do you want to leave seven orphans? “
He said: “That is an irresponsibility … God gives you methods to be responsible.” He added: “Some think that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits. No. Responsible parenthood!”
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