Pope Francis Affirms that Sexual Pleasure is a Divine Blessing

During a general audience in the Vatican, Pope Francis stated that sexual pleasure is a gift from God that should be approached with patience and discipline. He also expressed concern about the harmful effects of pornography and its addictive nature. The Pope delivered this address as part of a series of sermons on vices and virtues, focusing specifically on what he called "the demon of lust." He emphasized that lust damages relationships between individuals, as evident from the abundance of negative stories in the media. The Pope's comments came shortly after Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the new head of doctrine, faced criticism for a book he wrote in the late 1990s that explored human sexuality in detail. Cardinal Fernández defended the book, stating that he wrote it when he was young and would not write it now. Conservative commentators condemned the book as perverse, reinforcing their belief that Cardinal Fernández was unfit for his role. This is not the first instance of Pope Francis and Cardinal Fernández facing backlash from conservative members of the Catholic community. In December, Cardinal Fernández introduced guidelines allowing priests to bless same-sex relationships, which received approval from the Pope. This decision was strongly condemned by Cardinal Gerhard Müller and prelates around the world, with some comparing it to blessing other controversial entities like abortion clinics or mafia groups. These tensions escalated to the point where Pope Francis evicted US Cardinal Raymond Burke from his Vatican residence and terminated his salary after Burke openly criticized the Pope's plans for reforming the Catholic Church.