Look Where Moms Are Nursing Now

At Mass on Sunday during the service for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Francis encouraged mothers to nurse their hungry babies.

While no one wants a hungry, crying baby, there are undoubtedly plenty of averted eyes when a mother nurses her child in the pew.

“If it happened while I was at Mass, I’d just ignore it and give them their time,” said one Boston-area husband and father. “As a dad, though, I know that when a baby is hungry, you feed him. Better that, maybe, than mothers missing church, missing connection with the Lord. I would just say try to being thoroughly covered when nursing,” he added, “for everyone’s comfort.”

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At the Mass commemorating Christ’s baptism, Pope Francis baptized 28 children in the Sistine Chapel. As babies created a hullabaloo, he said lightly, “The concert has begun!”

He then noted that likely some of the babies were crying because they were in an unfamiliar place, or because they had woken up earlier than usual — or just because other babies were crying.

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“Then again,” the pope continued, “since the ceremony is a little long, some of them cry because they are hungry.”

“If this is the case, you mothers go ahead and breastfeed them, peacefully and without fear,” he said, “just as Mary nursed Jesus.”

Pope Francis is an emphatic advocate of breastfeeding during Mass, and Sunday’s invitation to mothers to do so was the latest in a series of encouraging statements.

Related: Baby Bottle Brouhaha Rages On

Last year, for the same feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Francis concluded his homily by reiterating his encouragement to breastfeed children in church. “When a baby cries because he’s hungry, feed him. Feel free to feed them here,” he said.

Related: Please Nurse in Private — Thank You

“This is just an idea, but mothers could express milk beforehand, and bring a bottle,” said the Boston dad. He laughed. “I’m sure mothers will say, ‘Said by a man, of course!'”