Pope calls female genital mutilation a crime that must stop

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis says female genital mutilation is a “crime” that must stop. Francis was responding Sunday (Nov. 6, 2022) to a question about women’s rights en route home from Bahrain. He gave a lengthy denunciation of how women in many cultures are treated as second-class citizens or worse. He said “we have to continue to fight this because women are a gift.” Speaking about the ritual genital mutilation of young girls, he said: “How is it that today in the world we cannot stop the tragedy?” The pope called the mutilation “a crime. It’s a criminal act!”