[user104658]

The thing is, this is another example where experience seems pretty important in having a fully rounded opinion.

As awful as this is going to sound, I was really against the idea of abortion (though I'd never have wanted it to be illegal) until I had children . Now just to quickly say, that's not because I don't want the ones I have!

I'm now 100% Pro choice and 100% woman's choice. The reason for this, is that I don't think people fully comprehend the physical and psychological effect that even a PLANNED pregnancy has on a woman's body until they directly experience one. Obviously I appreciate that it's still something I'll never completely understand but even having experienced it as best supporting actor completely changed my perspective on it. It's spoken of so flippantly in the abortion debate - especially by men, but also especially by anyone who has no real experience of what a 9 month pregnancy and birth entails.

So the pope, who pregnancy could not be LESS relevant for personally, really has a very limited scope for commenting on this even if you take the blatant hypocrisy out of the equation.

Also what's with the idea that you can't say "I'm not interested in what this guy has to offer" based on past actions?? Is that how it works now? I mean sure everyone is entitled to their opinion, but they're not entitled to "have their opinion taken seriously" when they're being a laughable hypocrite .