Pope Francis departed from his prepared address to encourage mothers to breastfeed their babies if they were hungry during a baptism he conducted for 33 children in Rome’s Sistine Chapel.
“You mothers give your children milk and even now, if they cry because they are hungry, breastfeed them, don’t worry,” he said.
The ABC reports that the written text of his homily said “give them milk,” but he changed it to use the Italian term “allattateli”, which means “breastfeed them”.
The Pope asked those in attendance to remember the mothers around the world, “too many, unfortunately, who can’t give food to their children”.
Even before the Pope’s specific encouragement a mother was breastfeeding her infant during the ceremony.
On the one hand it is perplexing that such encouragement was necessary at an event celebrating the baptism of 33 infants, or that his reassurance made news.
However, given that just a few weeks ago UK television host Jeremy Clarkson likened breastfeeding to urinating and suggested mothers go to the toilet to feed their babies, such positive reinforcement is sadly necessary.
Two years ago Australian television host David Koch created a similar furore when he said breastfeeding mothers should be discreet whilst feeding. Should the onus to be discreet not be on passers-by for whom the feeding has no impact, rather than a mother seeking to feed an infant?
We still have a way to go before breastfeeding babies in public is openly accepted. Until that time, anyone like Pope Francis who seeks to make that easier for mothers has my support.