Pope Francis Supports Breastfeeding Enough To Know It Needs To Happen In Public

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For all those who don’t already know, the breasts of women were meant for this task - the feeding of children. The Divine Child nursed at the breasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I nursed my children and I would love to hear much more encouragement about this womanly task.

For all those who are in someway “offended” by nursing mothers, too bad. If it really bothers you that much, turn away and look elsewhere. I think it is a beautiful thing. I once saw a mom nurse her child in the Adoration Chapel I was at because he began fussing and mom knew why and complied while dad was finishing his Holy Hour with the Lord. No one said a word and I thought is was a beautiful thing.

Thank you Holy Father for bringing this small yet loving task to our attention.

Glenda
 
glendab said:
For all those who don’t already know, the breasts of women were meant for this task - the feeding of children. The Divine Child nursed at the breasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I nursed my children and I would love to hear much more encouragement about this womanly task.

For all those who are in someway “offended” by nursing mothers, too bad. If it really bothers you that much, turn away and look elsewhere. I think it is a beautiful thing. I once saw a mom nurse her child in the Adoration Chapel I was at because he began fussing and mom knew why and complied while dad was finishing his Holy Hour with the Lord. No one said a word and I thought is was a beautiful thing.

Thank you Holy Father for bringing this small yet loving task to our attention.

Glenda
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👍

I’m reminded of the wise words of a child psychologist: “Cow’s milk is perfectly fine - for cows.” 😃

Count me in on this one. 🙂
 
I like him more and more everyday. Good for him. It is about time someone of position helped put the natural event of breastfeeding back in the position it belongs: Natural and normal.

I also like how he is handling the financial “scandal” in Rome, and his attitude toward the working class of the world. He is a breath of very fresh air.
 
glendab said:
For all those who don’t already know, the breasts of women were meant for this task - the feeding of children. The Divine Child nursed at the breasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I nursed my children and I would love to hear much more encouragement about this womanly task.

For all those who are in someway “offended” by nursing mothers, too bad. If it really bothers you that much, turn away and look elsewhere. I think it is a beautiful thing. I once saw a mom nurse her child in the Adoration Chapel I was at because he began fussing and mom knew why and complied while dad was finishing his Holy Hour with the Lord. No one said a word and I thought is was a beautiful thing.

Thank you Holy Father for bringing this small yet loving task to our attention.

Glenda
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Listen, I agree with a lot of what you say, and I am NOT against feeding, but the “too bad/get over it” comments don’t show charity or understanding of the other side.

Human female breasts clearly have a feeding function, but the mass of scientific and historic evidence also points to a second function, which is arousing and attracting mates. If you doubt this, read any scientific journal article about “why other female primates don’t have permanent breasts” or “why human female breasts are round”.

So all I’m asking for is that we be at least cognizant of all the factors at play. If some people feel awkward about it, it’s not necessarily because they are anti-women or anti-mother. I think these feelings can be overcome, but through a thoughtful and reasoned dialogue, not through a “get over it” dismissal. If we recognize why people feel how they feel, we’ll all have a healthier outlook and be able to move past this. 🙂
 
Havard said:
Listen, I agree with a lot of what you say, and I am NOT against feeding, but the “too bad/get over it” comments don’t show charity or understanding of the other side.

Human female breasts clearly have a feeding function, but the mass of scientific and historic evidence also points to a second function, which is arousing and attracting mates. If you doubt this, read any scientific journal article about “why other female primates don’t have permanent breasts” or “why human female breasts are round”.

So all I’m asking for is that we be at least cognizant of all the factors at play. If some people feel awkward about it, it’s not necessarily because they are anti-women or anti-mother. I think these feelings can be overcome, but through a thoughtful and reasoned dialogue, not through a “get over it” dismissal. If we recognize why people feel how they feel, we’ll all have a healthier outlook and be able to move past this. 🙂
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I do think women should cover themselves but other than that, I see no problem. I wore very loose shirts… and everyone can just ignore the occasional slip.
 
I just came onto this thread because the headline made me imagine throngs of women and babies streaming to the Sistine Chapel at lunchtime 😉
 
St_Francis said:
I just came onto this thread because the headline made me imagine throngs of women and babies streaming to the Sistine Chapel at lunchtime 😉
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Thanks for the laugh 😃

As regards breastfeeding, in places where it has always been the norm, the sexual aspect does not seem to be much of a problem. (Conversely, in places where women are normally covered head to heel, a regular beach in the US might present a major problem). Perhaps we can get it back to where breastfeeding in public becomes as innocuous an act as reading a newspaper on a park bench…
 
I’m a new father, and my daughter has to be fed every three hours. If my wife could only feed her at home, she’d be a prisoner. Of course she should be able to feed her in church, and in plenty of other places. Maybe not on the subway, but I really don’t think we should confine nursing women to their homes.

This Pope definitely gets the situation.
 
St_Francis said:
I do think women should cover themselves but other than that, I see no problem. I wore very loose shirts… and everyone can just ignore the occasional slip.
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Totally. I think any recognition of the natural sensitivities in others is enough. The majority of the burden of resolving the tension/misunderstanding falls on the rest of us, by fostering understanding for and of nursing moms.
 
Havard said:
Totally. I think any recognition of the natural sensitivities in others is enough. The majority of the burden of resolving the tension/misunderstanding falls on the rest of us, by fostering understanding for and of nursing moms.
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And I third that! I am 100% in favor of mothers breastfeeding in public, even in church. But breastfeeding is not a free ticket to display a woman’s breasts. And those who participate in this manner in public protests are only hurting the cause for mothers who discreetly nurse their infants in public.
 
Havard said:
Listen, I agree with a lot of what you say, and I am NOT against feeding, but the “too bad/get over it” comments don’t show charity or understanding of the other side.

Human female breasts clearly have a feeding function, but the mass of scientific and historic evidence also points to a second function, which is arousing and attracting mates. If you doubt this, read any scientific journal article about “why other female primates don’t have permanent breasts” or “why human female breasts are round”.

So all I’m asking for is that we be at least cognizant of all the factors at play. If some people feel awkward about it, it’s not necessarily because they are anti-women or anti-mother. I think these feelings can be overcome, but through a thoughtful and reasoned dialogue, not through a “get over it” dismissal. If we recognize why people feel how they feel, we’ll all have a healthier outlook and be able to move past this. 🙂
Click to expand...
I think they should “get over it” too. We have become ridiculous in the nation, where we think it is just fine to let our teenagers dress like street walkers and then cry “inappropriate” and awkward when we happen to see a woman breast feeding. And what the breasts are like in other animals is a mute point. If you see a woman breast feeding stop gawking and look the other way. There is no need to be charitable about it. These people are annoying at best.
 
Cricket2 said:
I think they should “get over it” too. We have become ridiculous in the nation, where we think it is just fine to let our teenagers dress like street walkers and then cry “inappropriate” and awkward when we happen to see a woman breast feeding. And what the breasts are like in other animals is a mute point. If you see a woman breast feeding stop gawking and look the other way. There is no need to be charitable about it. These people are annoying at best.
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I think it is inappropriate for breastfeeding mothers to let it all hang out without covering. Those who disagree should “get over it”. There is nothing wrong with promoting modesty.
 
zab said:
I think it is inappropriate for breastfeeding mothers to let it all hang out without covering. Those who disagree should “get over it”. There is nothing wrong with promoting modesty.
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The advice to “get over it”, can work the same way for those who have the opposite stance. Standards of “modesty” are in the eye of the beholder in some cases, otherwise one might have had trouble touring Europe’s art havens in ANY historical age!
 
seekerz said:
The advice to “get over it”, can work the same way for those who have the opposite stance.
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And I don’t think it’s helpful in either case. One can shut people up with dismissals, but they won’t learn anything, and they’ll likely end up resenting you.

Promotion of the Theology of the Body, for example, would be just one way to educate people so that they will have more mature understanding the human body.
 
seekerz said:
The advice to “get over it”, can work the same way for those who have the opposite stance. Standards of “modesty” are in the eye of the beholder in some cases, otherwise one might have had trouble touring Europe’s art havens in ANY historical age!
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My “get over it” remark was more sarcastic. I don’t normally use such remarks. .
 
glendab said:
For all those who don’t already know, the breasts of women were meant for this task - the feeding of children. The Divine Child nursed at the breasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I nursed my children and I would love to hear much more encouragement about this womanly task.

For all those who are in someway “offended” by nursing mothers, too bad. If it really bothers you that much, turn away and look elsewhere. I think it is a beautiful thing. I once saw a mom nurse her child in the Adoration Chapel I was at because he began fussing and mom knew why and complied while dad was finishing his Holy Hour with the Lord. No one said a word and I thought is was a beautiful thing.

Thank you Holy Father for bringing this small yet loving task to our attention.

Glenda
Click to expand...
👍
 
I am a guy and I am very visual like other guys. But a mom breastfeeding her baby wherever, is just that–a baby eating. It’s hard for me to see why it’s a problem for some people.
 
Inisfallen said:
I’m a new father, and my daughter has to be fed every three hours. If my wife could only feed her at home, she’d be a prisoner. Of course she should be able to feed her in church, and in plenty of other places. Maybe not on the subway, but I really don’t think we should confine nursing women to their homes.
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Do you really think this is a widespread problem, though? I took child psychology as an elective in college (back in the 60’s) and can report half of the semester focused on breast-feeding and its effects. That it’s natural, etc. goes without saying. There’s not a culture I know of that penalizes breast-feeding per se. But that doesn’t appear to be the point on this thread.
 
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