Violence Against Women Insults God, Pope Says In New Year's Message

Violence against women insults God, pope says in New Year's message 

VATICAN CITY, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis used his New Year's message on Saturday to issue a clarion call for an end to violence against women, saying it was insulting to God. Francis, 85, celebrated a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on the day the Roman Catholic Church marks both the solemnity of Holy Mary Mother of God as well as its annual World Day of Peace. Francis appeared to be in good form on Saturday following an unexplained incident on New Year's Eve where he attended a service but at the last minute did not preside over it as he had been expected to. read more At the start of the Mass on Saturday, he walked the entire length of the central aisle of basilica, as opposed to Friday night, when he emerged from a side entrance close to the altar and watched from the sidelines. Francis suffers from a sciatica condition that causes pain in the legs, and sometimes a flare up prevents him from standing for long periods. Francis wove his New Year's homily around the themes of motherhood and women - saying it was they who kept together the threads of life - and used it to make one of his strongest calls yet for an end to violence against them. Source