Pope must clarify his views on slapping

When the approval of the violence involved in slapping a child is publicly endorsed by a Pope, while addressing a weekly audience at the Vatican, then it seems that the Pope is endorsing such behaviour with the imprimatur of the Petrine Office.

He must be aware of the ‘creeping infallibility’ being ascribed to all Papal statements by Vatican theologians in recent times, especially during the Pontificates of the last two Popes.

The result of such muddying of the theological waters is that it is almost impossible to differentiate what is a personal view of a Pope and what is a Magisterium teaching.