An estimated 4000 babies have now been born with microcephaly, probably as a result of the mothers being infected by the Zika virus.
Notwithstanding this the Pope, who is supposed to be so liberal, has said that women exposed to Zika are permitted to use contraception to avoid pregnancy, but only as the least bad option. Contraception is evil, just less evil than abortion. Both come under the heading of “killing one person to save another”, which is “a crime, an absolute evil”; it’s just a matter of degree. The Vatican issued a statement to the effect that it doesn’t approve of contraception, but it can be “an object of discernment in a serious case of conscience” (whatever that means). This has been the case for years.
The Guttmayer Institute figures show that 91% of Latin American Catholics support the use of contraception, a damning indictment of church teaching. If most of the Catholic world is ignoring you, why do you persist? The concept of “life at any cost” was understandable in a more empty world, but now the world population is 8 billion, and heading towards 11, with all the problems of resources and the environment, the best interests of women, their health and resources, should be the deciding factor. They should be in any case. These cruel and misogenistic strictures on (mostly) the poor should be condemned and stopped for good. This is an Epicurean stance.
Currently Brazil alone has 6,480 suspected cases of microcephaly. Cape Verde has more than 7000 suspected cases, and health experts fear a severe public health crisis in a number of countries. It is cruel to bring babies into the world with this condition, unless mothers specifically want to do so. It is an intolerable burden on both the children and on families, and is contrary to common sense. When will these out-of-touch Catholic bachelors stop pontificating (literally) on the choices before women and use the brains they were given? Let them first concentrate on the sins within their own ranks!