Each beginning of the year, the Pope repeats a private baptism ceremony for the children of Vatican employees, and as he did years earlier, this year has again encouraged mothers to breastfeed in public in the Sistine Chapel. A gesture that is already a seal of Pope Francis.
During the baptism of the 34 children, 18 girls and 16 boys (including two pairs of twins) addressed the mothers quite naturally telling them to feel free to breastfeed their babies if they were hungry and underlining that doing so is using the "language of love. "
"If you start with a concert (crying), or if you are uncomfortable or very hot or do not feel well or are hungry (...) breastfeed, do not be afraid, feed them because that is also the language of love," said the Pope in An impromptu homily.
"Do not be afraid"
In his impromptu phrase he gave a very powerful message to the mothers who were there and that it is necessary to extend it also to the other mothers of babies who are breastfed. He encouraged them to "feel free" and not be afraid to breastfeed the public, no matter what others may think.
"The language of love"
We cannot agree more that breastfeeding a child is speaking the language of love, not forgetting that neither is it exclusive to mothers who breastfeed. The language of love towards children is universal, even if they are breast-fed or bottle-fed. It is not something that is measured according to the way they are fed.
In any case, the pontiff's message was not only for breastfeeding mothers, but for anyone who needed to feed their children. In fact, a mother could be seen giving the bottle to her baby during the ceremony.
It shouldn't be news
The first thing we can think of is: "But what about this news? If it is the most normal thing in the world". Well, no, it shouldn't be but it's newsprecisely because there are those who do not see it as a right. There are still those who see "dirty" and "unacceptable" breastfeeding in public and even social networks sometimes censor it for considering it "provocative."
It is not uncommon to see mothers who are expelled (or invited to retire) from restaurants, airplanes, shops, museums, swimming pools and other public places for those who do not see it normal for a mother to feed her baby.
That is why it is important to highlight that a figure like the Pope encourages mothers to breastfeed in public with total normality. And also in the Sistine Chapel, a place that is mandatory to access with covered shoulders and legs, but the Pope himself allows a mother to discover her breast to feed her baby.
It is common sense that, in the case of babies of a few months, at some time during the two hours that the ceremony lasted, they may be hungry or need comfort when they feel uncomfortable or irritable.
Although we see more and more support for breastfeeding in public, when they happen deserve recognition come whoever they come from. But especially if it comes from an area like the church, whether or not we agree with what it professes and being so hermetic in certain matters, it must be recognized that that of Pope Francis has been a nice gesture that helps defend the right to breastfeeding.
