Pope Francis has suggested that extramarital sex may not be the most serious transgression out there.
The head of the Catholic Church shared his thoughts on the subject while conversing with reporters aboard the papal plane while returning to the Vatican after a visit to Greece and Cyprus.
"Sins of the flesh are not the most serious," Pope Francis remarked, naming hatred and pride as the most serious sins.
According to Reuters, the pontiff spoke about the sins of the flesh while responding to a question about the resignation of Paris archbishop Michel Aupetit, who stepped down last week following media reports about him allegedly being involved in an intimate relationship with a woman. While Aupetit did deny being intimate with the lady, he “acknowledged his behaviour may have been ambiguous”, as the media outlet puts it.
"It was a failing against the sixth commandment (You shall not commit adultery) but not a total one, one of small caresses, a massage given to his secretary - that is what the accusation is," the pope said. "There is a sin there but not the worst kind."
The pontiff noted that Aupetit was “condemned… by public opinion, by gossip”, adding: "I accepted the resignation of Aupetit not on the altar of truth, but on the altar of hypocrisy."
Pope Francis also mentioned that he did not have all the details of the case at the time, and expected to get them from French bishops when they visit the Vatican.