Pope Francis said Thursday that artificial contraception is “the lesser of two evils” in the fight against the Zika virus that is thought to severely harm fetuses. The mosquito-borne virus has been connected to a boom in cases of microcephaly (a shrunken head and brain) in newborn children across Latin America. “Avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil,” Francis said, adding that abortion is “an absolute evil” and should not ever be considered under any circumstances.
