Pope Francis has warned priests and nuns about the dangers of watching pornography online, saying it “weakens the priestly heart”.
The Pope, 86, was responding to a question about how digital and social media should be best used at session in the Vatican,
Pornography, he said, was “a vice that so many people have… even priests and nuns”.
“The devil enters from there,” the Pope told priests and seminarians.
As to how to navigate social media and the digital world, he said that they should be used but told them not to waste too much time on it.
“The pure heart, the one that Jesus receives ever day, cannot receive this pornographic information,” he said.
He advised the group to “delete this from your phone, so you will not have temptation in hand”.
The Catholic church requires that all clerics remain celibate – which is to abstain from sexual relations and marriage.
Watching porn would breach these requirements.
Priestly celibacy was introduced about 900 years ago by the Catholic church. Before then clergy were often married – priestly celibacy is not explicitly required by the Bible but is a discipline required by the Catholic Church.
For many, remaining celibate is a key part of being a Catholic priest, who is supposed to devote himself to the church and not be distracted by what some consider to be worldly concerns like a wife or a family.__BBC.com
