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Pope Francis has offered his opinions on sex and masturbation on a TV show, before performing a traditional Easter ceremony in Rome. You can see a trailer for the documentary series that Francis featured in below.
The Argentine Pontiff was taking part in a traditional Holy Thursday ritual yesterday which involved washing and kissing the feet of some people in a Roman juvenile prison, before telling them that ‘any of us’ can be taken in by sin, as well as reassuring them of their dignity.
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Before that, the Pope had made some pretty rare comments on sex during a Hulu documentary that was released on Wednesday.
Francis was asked about some controversial topics on the show, and answered them honestly, but in keeping with the Catholic tradition.
Of course, he’s in favour of sex – even if he might not partake in it himself - because the human race needs it for procreation.
He said that sex is ‘one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person’.
However, as you might imagine, his view on masturbation is not quite the same.
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As the popular rhetorical question states – is the Pope a Catholic?
Well yes, of course he is.
That means that he’s broadly against masturbation or any sex from which procreation is not possible.
On The Pope: Answers, Francis said: "Sex is one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person,
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"To express yourself sexually is a richness.
“So, anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness."
That’s a pretty clear reference to masturbation, right there.
The following day, at the Casal del Marmo juvenile prison on the outskirts of Rome, he then washed the feet of some inmates, symbolising a key belief that all Christians should still care and remain loving towards even those who are on the fringes of society.
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That meant that he washed and kissed the feet of 10 male and two female prisoners spending time in the facility, pouring water over one of their feet, before drying it with a towel and planting a kiss on it.
Then, the prisoners had a moment with the Pope before kissing his hand.
Francis even had a few words to share with them, presumably hoping that his visit can help set them back on the right path.
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It’s a reference to the story of Easter, when Jesus is said to have washed the feet of his twelve apostles at the Last Supper, before he was taken and crucified before rising again, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday.
Francis explained that Jesus ‘washes all our feet’ and ‘knows all our weaknesses’.
He explained how ‘any one of us can slip’ from the grace of God, and added that the foot-washing ‘confers on us the dignity of being sinners’.
His overall lesson – he said – was that we should ‘help one another, so life becomes better’.
Topics: World News, Pope Francis, Sex and Relationships, Film and TV