Pope Francis Says Parents Can Smack Their Kids As Punishment For Misbehaving.

 
 
Pope Francis has said it is fine for parents to smack their children as punishment for misbehaving.
The Pope said parents should punish their children, 'do the right thing, and then move on,' as he acted out the movement of smacking a child on the bottom.

The pontiff made the remarks in front of a large crowd during his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday.
Addressing the crowd, Pope Francis recalled a conversation he had had with a father who had admitted to him that he would sometimes hit his children as punishment.
'One time, I heard a father say, "At times I have to hit my children a bit, but never in the face so as not to humiliate them".,' the Pope said according to the Telegraph.

'That's great. He had a sense of dignity. He should punish, do the right thing, and then move on.'
Pope Francis's remarks on corporal punishment for misbehaving children came as the leaders of the Catholic clergy received a letter from him, reminding them to cooperate with the new sex abuse inquiry – even if it means uncovering more scandals.
'Families need to know that the Church is making every effort to protect their children,' he said.