Pope Francis described sex as "one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person" in a documentary released on Wednesday. The 86-year-old pontiff made the comment in the Disney+ production The Pope Answers, which captures a meeting he had last year in Rome with 10 Spanish speakers from around the globe in their early 20s.
Pope Francis was quizzed by them on a variety of topics, including LGBT rights, abortion, the porn industry, sex, and faith and sex abuse within the Catholic Church.
"Sex is one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person," he said in the documentary. Further, referring to masturbation, Pope Francis added, "To express yourself sexually is a richness. So anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness."
On being quizzed about abortion, the 86-year-old pontiff said priests should be "merciful" towards women who have terminated a pregnancy, but said the practice remains unacceptable. "It good to call things by their name. It is one thing to accompany the person who had one (abortion), quite another to justify the act," he added.
The Pope also reiterated that LGBTQ people must be welcomed by the Catholic Church. "All persons are the children of God, all persons. God does not reject anybody, God is a father. And I have no right to expel anyone from the Church," he said.
The Pope's remarks were published by L'Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, which described his conversation with the young people as an "open and sincere dialogue".
(With inputs from Reuters)
Read more: The life and times of Pope Francis as he marks his 10th anniversary as pontiff
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