Pope Francis warned on Saturday of a "global war" against traditional marriage and the family, saying both were under attack from gender theory and divorce.

Francis made his comments in an impromptu response to a question at a meeting of the small Catholic community in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia.

"You mentioned a great enemy of marriage: gender theory," the pope said in response to a woman who had asked about it being taught in schools.

He did not elaborate.

Gender theory is broadly the concept that while a person may be biologically male or female, they have the right to identify themselves as male, female, both or neither.

"Today, there is a global war out to destroy marriage," Francis said. "Not with weapons but with ideas ... we have to defend ourselves from ideological colonization."

The pope has used the phrase "ideological colonization" in the past to denounce what he says are attempts by rich countries to link development aid to the acceptance of social policies such as those allowing gay marriage and contraception.

Francis, who has been more accepting of homosexuals than his predecessors but opposes gay marriage, also appeared to be referring to it when he said "marriage is the most beautiful thing that God has created" adding that the Bible says God created man and woman to become one flesh.

In the same answer, he said the growing acceptance of divorce was another threat to the family.


Pope says gender theory part of 'global war' on marriage, family | Reuters http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1213KH?

Spot on by the pope and well said.

Pope abeg tell them. We've successfully altered the animal kingdom class and classification. We're now below, and other animals are topping. We are coming to the point of lower than low animals.

lol

The painful part is that most Christians have surrendered to divorce as the only way out in a marriage going through trials. Most don't want to make effort to heal their marriage. Divorce is now rampant and condone in the churches today.

Gradually the family is under serious attack which is having adverse effect on society and world at large. "As the family goes, so goes the society, so goes to world." -Pope St. John Paul.