By Philip Pullella ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) – Pope Francis has appeared to open the door to a possible limited softening of the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on contraception because of the Zika virus. But the Argentine pontiff, speaking to reporters as he flew back to Rome from a visit to Mexico, categorically ruled out abortion as a response to Zika, comparing the practice to a Mafia killing. The health crisis has put pressure on Church teachings, particularly in Latin America, where abortion is now being debated more openly even in some conservative countries. Many scientists believe Zika, a mosquito-borne disease that is currently sweeping through the Americas, may be a risk factor for microcephaly in newborns – a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. In the freewheeling, post-trip news conference that has become a trademark of his papacy, the pope was asked if using contraception would fall into the category of the lesser of two evils and how he felt about some authorities advising pregnant women with Zika to have abortions. He categorically ruled out that abortion would ever be permitted for pregnant women with Zika who fear that they may give birth to a child with microcephaley.
Here is the original post:
Pope signals possible limited opening contraception in Zika cases
