Pope Says It’s Okay To Breastfeed Babies In Church, Encourages Mothers To Do So

Amid the iconic art in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday, Pope Francis told mothers that it’s acceptable to breastfeed their children in public, even in holy sites like churches.

Children’s voices, even when crying, make “the most beautiful choir of all,” Pope Francis said during a service in which he baptized 32 children.

“Some will cry because they are uncomfortable or because they are hungry,” the Pope said. “If they are hungry, mothers, let them eat, no worries, because here, they are the main focus,” he said.

The Pope’s remarks echo statements he made to an Italian newspaper in December in which he tied breastfeeding to the problem of global hunger.

At a recent General Audience – or public appearance by the Pope – a young mother sat behind a screen with her crying infant, Francis told La Stampa.

“I said to her: ‘Madam, I think the child’s hungry. … Please give it something to eat!’ ” the Pope said.

“She was shy and didn’t want to breastfeed in public, while the Pope was passing,” he continued. “I wish to say the same to humanity: Give people something to eat! That woman had milk to give to her child; we have enough food in the world to feed everyone.”

Emer McCarthy, a journalist at Vatican Radio, told Catholic News Service that she breastfed her daughter discreetly during Sunday’s baptism ceremony. “Who would have thought the Pope would be this great proponent?” she said.

Breastfeeding in public, particularly in sacred sites such as churches, remains a sensitive issue for families.