"Pope Condemns Harm of Online Pornography, Including Exposure of Priests and Nuns"

Warning to Young Clergy: "The Devil Enters There"
Encouraging Social Media Use for "Catholic Progress and Communication"

Pope Francis urged young clergy to stay away from online pornography. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Pope Francis emphasized that not only laypeople but also nuns and clergy have been exposed to adult content, and that it is necessary to prevent the devil from infiltrating through temptation.

On the 26th (local time), according to Italy's ANSA news agency and the UK's The Guardian, Pope Francis made these remarks during a meeting with priests and seminarians studying in Rome at the Vatican. He responded to the question, "How can young clergy share the joy of Catholicism without losing their identity despite excessive exposure to digital media?"

Specifically, the Pope said, "I will not ask you to raise your hand if you have ever experienced or felt tempted by online pornography," adding, "It is a bad habit that many people, including many laypeople, priests, and nuns, have been exposed to." He continued, "I am not talking about criminal pornography such as child pornography. That is already a sexual perversion," and added, "I am referring to more normal pornography."

The Pope further advised, "You must delete this (pornographic material) from your mobile phone," and said, "Only then will you avoid falling into temptation." He repeatedly emphasized, "Let me tell you, this weakens the soul."

While pointing out the problems of social networking services (SNS), the Pope added, "Active communication through SNS is necessary for Catholicism to progress and communicate."

The Guardian interpreted the Pope's remarks as "an acknowledgment that nuns and clergy within the Catholic Church are already exposed to adult content distributed online."

Meanwhile, the 85-year-old Pope Francis's SNS accounts are managed by a separate team within the Vatican. The Pope's Twitter followers number 64.3 million.

At the end of 2020, when Pope Francis's official Instagram account was found to have 'liked' a photo of Brazilian model Natalia Garibotto, the Vatican explained by saying, "Inquire with Instagram for an explanation," putting them in an awkward position. At that time, Garibotto's management company (COY Co) used this for promotion and even posted the image on the Instagram account with the caption "Official blessing from the Pope."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.