Planned Parenthood has harsh words for Pope Francis after the leader of the Roman Catholic Church championed life — including before birth — in his address to Congress on Thursday. Francis and the church are limiting women’s rights by urging Catholics not to use contraception, said a spokesman for the women’s health organization.

“Despite Pope Francis’ progressive stance on climate change and economic equity, he has taken a back seat when it comes to reproductive health and women’s rights,” said Alexander Sanger, board member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation for the Western Hemisphere Region, in a statement Friday. “The pope and the Catholic Church must acknowledge the fact that 99 percent of Catholic women use contraception and have abortions at the same rate as other women. His pursuit to stifle contraception access reduces women to basic purveyors of biological materials and denies them the right to plan their own families. The pope has to listen to what women want, and women all over the world want access to contraception.”

Read the article “Planned Parenthood Slams Pope Francis Over Abortion Speech, Women’s Rights” on ibtimes.com.