Pope Francis Encourages Moms To Breastfeed In The Sistine Chapel
Pope tells moms to breastfeed in Sistine Chapel ‘without fear’
Pope Francis further cemented his status as the coolest pope ever this past Sunday when he told mothers attending a service in the Sistine Chapel to feel free to breastfeed if their babies were hungry.
The comments took place during an annual ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus, where the Pope baptized 28 children. “The ceremony is a little long, someone’s crying because he’s hungry,” he said. “That’s the way it is. You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus.”
The pontiff isn’t afraid to take on other topics that are typically taboo according to the Church. This past November he gave priests the authority to forgive abortions. In 2013, shortly after becoming Pope, he said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”
This isn’t the first time the Pontiff has spoken out in support of public breastfeeding. At the same ceremony two years ago he encouraged mothers to feed their hungry babies as well. In 2013, during an interview with an Italian journalist, he mentioned a young mom he had met and how he didn’t want her to feel ashamed for breastfeeding in front of him. “She was shy and didn’t want to breast-feed in public, while the pope was passing,” he said. “I wish to say the same to humanity: give people something to eat! That woman had milk to give to her child; we have enough food in the world to feed everyone.”
Can this be it? Can we as a society agree that the Pope has spoken and finally stop shaming moms who breastfeed in public? If it’s okay to do in the Sistine Chapel of all places, then surely it’s cool to breastfeed at the park, in the mall, or any other place a hungry baby just happens to be.
