Okay, the cage match between Donald Trump and Pope Francis is a fun story, but we’re all burying the lede here. In addition to dissing Trump, the Pope also told reporters that contraception could be the “lesser of two evils” for women worried about the Zika virus (although not abortion, which he said was an “absolute evil”). 

ABC reports: 

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With the mosquito-borne Zika virus continuing to spread through Central and South America, Pope Francis said today that contraception could be seen as “the lesser of two evils” if women are concerned about having children with the birth defect microcephaly. … 

The pope compared the situation to a decree issued by Pope Paul VI, which said nuns in Africa could use contraception due to the threat of rape.

“Avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil,” Francis said. “In certain cases, as in this one, such as the one I mentioned of Blessed Paul VI, it was clear. I would also ask doctors to do their utmost to find vaccines against these mosquitoes that carry this disease. This needs to be worked on.”

Will the Vatican walk it back? 

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