Pope Francis, in a recent video conference with Indian, Pakistani, and Nepalese Christian students, admitted to bullying a young boy for being overweight when he was a boy, adding that his father made him apologise to the boy afterward.
The 86-year-old pontiff, known for hearing the confessions of Catholics, took a unique turn by confessing his own childhood transgression.
In the conversation, Pope Francis discussed various contemporary issues, including the prevalence of “body shaming” and the impact of social media on societal beauty standards.
During the conversation, a young woman named Merlin from India shared her personal experience of being bullied due to her weight. She described how she endured relentless taunts, which led to tears and distress.
Pope Francis empathised with her and expressed concern about the culture of pursuing “artificial beauty” and the increase in “fat shaming” driven by social media.
