Pope defends mothers-in-law but says they should ‘be careful with their tongue’

Known for speeches that preach mutual respect between family members, Pope Francis made this Wednesday (27) a defense of the figure of mothers-in-law during a weekly audience in St.

The pontiff asked the faithful to put aside stigmata around them, but he also sent a message: “To you, mothers-in-law, I say to you: be careful with your tongue, because the tongue is one of the most terrible sins of mothers-in-law”.

Francis spoke about prejudices around old age when he addressed family ties between daughters-in-law or sons-in-law and mothers-in-law. “We always think of the mother-in-law as an evil figure, but the mother-in-law is the mother of your husband, of your wife,” the Pope continued at the general audience.

He urged people to let go of the idea that the farther away mothers-in-law are, the better, and said that one of the most beautiful things in grandmothers’ lives is watching their grandchildren grow up close. “At least you have to make them happy, so that they can move forward with old age happily,” he added.

“May the Lord help us, by doing this, to grow in harmony in families, that constructive harmony that goes from the elderly to the young, that positive bridge that we must preserve and conserve.”

This is not the first time that the pontiff has spoken of his mothers-in-law, nor are his comments —sometimes ironic—about the stigmas surrounding the topic unheard of. In a speech on tour in the US two years after assuming the papacy, he said: “Families fight and sometimes dishes can fly. Kids give you headaches. I won’t talk about mothers-in-law.”

A year earlier, the Times of Israel recalled, Francis had made a similar comment, that time in Rome: “We all know that the perfect family doesn’t exist. The perfect husband doesn’t exist, and neither does the perfect wife. perfect mothers-in-law”.

The pontiff remained seated throughout this Wednesday’s audience and apologized for it, explaining that he had knee pain that forced him to cancel appointments in recent days. “This knee takes a while to get better and I can’t stand for long.”

The Argentine pope canceled appointments this Tuesday (26) due to pain and, last Friday (22), he underwent exams. He had also canceled events in February and March, but had traveled to Malta for two days.

To the Argentine newspaper La Nación Francisco said that he tore a ligament and that he is treating the pain with ice and painkillers. He said he had been told the problem was improving with time, but that the process would be slow at his age – the pope is 85 years old.