Pope Francis' comments, misunderstood

Pontiff's words meet a wild mix of misconceptions

This is a graphic posted on pro-choice group NARAL's Facebook page
after an interview with Pope Francis was released last week.

A lengthy interview between Pope Francis and Father Antonio Spadaro, SJ, editor of an Italian Jesuit journal, received a mix of bizarre reactions after its release last week.

The Holy Father's quotes which received the most attention were comments on abortion and homosexuality.

"We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible... But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."

American pro-choice group NARAL posted a graphic on their Facebook page thanking Pope Francis for his comments, apparently under the impression that "this is progress."

The group linked to a New York Times article titled "Pope says Church is 'obsessed' with gays, abortion, and birth control."

In Vancouver, a CBC video had more time for a treasurer from a gay Catholic group than philosophy professor and The B.C. Catholic columnist Chris Morrissey.

Secular sources are not the only ones taking Pope Francis' comments out of context. A Christian news network cited a Protestant pastor who accused the Pontiff for not reading his Bible.

What did Pope Francis actually say? Read his comments yourself.