Vatican says chill, Pope not backing pill

February 20, 2016 02:09

The Vatican today moved swiftly to dampen claims Pope Francis had signalled a significant relaxation of the Catholic Church's ban on contraception in response to an outbreak of the Zika virus in Latin America.

In an unusually extended explanation of Francis's comment that contraception was "not an absolute evil", Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the pontiff had been talking about the possibility of having recourse to birth control only in "emergency cases".

"That does not mean that this recourse is accepted and can be used without discernment," Lombardi told Vatican radio.

Media around the world hailed Francis's comments, made on his return from Mexico yesterday, as potentially signalling a new departure on an issue that has long divided Catholics.

"Francis says contraception can be used to slow Zika," trumpeted the New York Times, while an online headline in Britain's The Guardian said: "Pope suggests contraception can be condoned in Zika crisis."

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