Vatican City (AP): Pope Francis says it's OK to spank your children to discipline them - as long as their dignity is maintained.
He made his remarks this week during his weekly general audience, which was devoted to the role of fathers in the family.
Being a father with grown-up children who never used spankings or any other corporale punishment as a means to discipline my children is based on deep rooted painful and personal experiences I lived as a child that compels me to write this diary in disagreement with Pope Francis.
Not only do I disagree with Pope Francis` apparant intended guidance to fathers on how to discipline children, I am appalled and shocked by his remark:
One time, I heard a father in a meeting with married couples say `I sometimes have to smack my children a bit, but never in the face so as to not humiliate them,'" Francis said.
"How beautiful!" Francis remarked. "He knows the sense of dignity! He has to punish them but does it justly and moves on."
Admittedly I want to think in my head that I have no religion nor do I kneel to any higher power - but if anyone wishes to understand my lack of religion understanding, all one has to do is read my many diaries that ghastly describes my upbringing under cruel and barbaric abuses as a child. You will understand why faith, religion or believing on anything, even trusting adults was not an option for me.
Here is only the beginning of my struggles writing of my personal journey through spankings and cruel and vicious corporal punishment that enrages me to even consider Pope Francis advice. Granted Pope Francis does not mention or seem to condone corporal punishment, but I say that once a spanking to the butt of a child starts, chances are that the father will inflict more pain that could include the same treatment I endured as a child.
Anger, after all is what triggers a father`s decision to spank, anger has no limits.
So I am not the only one that was shocked by Pope Francis remarks this week during his weekly general audience, which was devoted to the role of fathers in the family.
Members of Pope Francis' sex abuse commission have criticized his remarks that it is OK for parents to spank their children, saying there is no place for physical discipline and that the commission would be making recommendations to him about protecting kids from corporal punishment.
The commission met with its full 17 members for the first time this week and announced progress Saturday on drafting policies for holding bishops accountable when they cover up for pedphile priests. Commission members also said they were organizing educational seminars for Vatican officials and newly minted bishops on protecting children from predators.
But they got an unexpected and urgent new task when Francis told his weekly general audience this week that it was OK for parents to spank their children if their dignity was respected. The remarks were criticized by Germany, where corporal punishment for children is illegal, and from leading advocacy groups.
Germany BERLIN (AP) -- Germany has rejected the pope's comments that it's OK to spank your children to discipline them, as long as their dignity is maintained.
It really behooves me how any grown man or woman can accept as dignity maintained inflicting pain to a child by spankings or any other corporal punishment. I do understand that not all parents of children are the same - with the same type of child care. Here I only address spankings, corporal punishment and I say that anyone who hits, or spank a child is only to cause pain - and that is not right.
Francis described the man's comment as "beautiful," adding: "He knows the sense of dignity! He has to punish them but does it justly and moves on."
Verena Herb, a spokeswoman for Germany's Families Ministry, told reporters on Friday that "there can be no dignified hitting."
Herb added that "there must be no misunderstanding here, because any form of violence against children is completely unacceptable."
Germany is one of several countries where corporal punishment of children is illegal.
I like Pope Francis. I like him a lot even if I insist in having no religion or beliefs in a higher power. Today I am dismayed upon reading his latest remarks on spanking of a child as long as dignity is maintained. I think the reason I like Pope Francis is for his own dignity to address
that atheists who do good are redeemed and not just Catholics and can enter the Kingdom of God..Or that is the way I understood his remark there.
I cannot comment further on Francis` redeemed atheists and not just Catholics because I know nothing to that effect. I simply mentioned that theme to show my admiration of the Pope for his sympaty and love to all alike.
I think I like him best because everytime I see him on the news, he is kissing or holding a chid in his arms. I just do not know nor could I ever understand what caused him to peddle such a harmful advise to fathers
I know nothing about religion and what I do know about the church is not an issue here.
What I do know, and in fact I am an expert, is enduring pain due to corporal punishment inflicted by those who were expected to take care of me during my childhood.
There can be no more horrifying experience for a child than being subjected to pain by an adult, feeling the slaps and punches to the body as a means to control by terrorized methods.
I do not want to close this diary without acknowledging that some parents might have a different view of my thinking about the issue at hand. In fact we read daily about some child or another who has been harmed through corporal punishments by parents.
Like I said, not all parents think the same. When those children brualized today grow up, they too will become experts like me, to the effects of spankings, even with dignity to the butt, face or body.
Hug your child today.