Pope Says 'Even Nuns And Priests' Watch Pornography, Calls It 'The Devil'

Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke about the vices of pornography and how it affects the priestly value of chastity. Speaking at a congregation of priests and seminaries in the Vatican, he said that even priests and nuns give in to temptation and watch online pornography.

The subject came up during a question-and-answer session where the Pope shared his thoughts on digital media and its pros and cons, the BBC reported.

Stating that pornography "weakens the priestly heart," he said: "Each of you think if you've had the experience or had the temptation of digital pornography. It's a vice that so many people have, so many laymen, so many laywomen and even priests and nuns. The devil enters from there."

The pontiff was reportedly asked by those present about how to reconcile modern science and digital media with the Christian way of life. He responded by asking them not to spend too much time on digital media. As per an Al Jazeera report, he laid particular stress on not watching the news in an obsessive manner or spending too much time on music which can distract from one's work or duties.

"And on this [subject], there's also another thing that you know well: digital pornography," the Pope said, according to the outlet.

"The pure heart, the one that Jesus receives every day, cannot receive this pornographic information," he said, calling upon those present to "delete the material from their phones."

The Pope said he wasn't referring only to "criminal pornography like that of child abuse", but also to "normal pornography".

This is not, however, the first time he has broached the subject of pornography in public. Back in June this year, he had called porn "a permanent attack on the dignity of men and women," and called for it to be declared a "threat to public health."

The pontiff has even linked porn to child abuse and pedophilia in the past. At the "Child Dignity in the Digital World" conference held in the Vatican in 2017, he said that a society that consumes porn would be unable to protect minors from sexual abuse.

Notably, the Vatican has also been plagued by numerous pedophilia scandals in the past.