VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis warned seminarians in Rome of the dangers of online pornography, in a transcript published by the Vatican on Wednesday, calling soft porn a temptation that “weakens the priestly heart”.

“Dear brothers, be careful of this. The pure heart, the heart that receives Jesus every day, cannot receive this pornographic information,” he said on Monday, telling the audience to “delete it” from cell phones “so you won’t have temptation in your hand”.

“The devil enters from there: it weakens the priestly heart. Excuse me for going down to these details about pornography, but there is a reality: a reality that touches priests, seminarians, nuns, consecrated souls,” he said.

Francis’ meeting at the Vatican on Monday saw the 86-year-old pontiff respond at length to a wide range of questions from priests and seminarians studying in Rome, from reconciling science and faith to trying to live virtuously amid personal shortcomings.

When asked, however, about how digital and social media should be best used to “share the joy of being Christians”, the pope cautioned against obsessively watching the news, listening to music that distracts from one’s work — before broaching a more serious risk.

“And on this (subject) there’s also another thing, which you know well: digital pornography,” he said, according to the transcript of the question and answer session.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2022