Pope Francis, reaffirming the Church's ban on artificial means of contraception, clarified that although the ban stands, it doesn't mean that Catholics should breed like 'rabbits'  and be irresponsible parents.

Answering questions from journalists on board Shepherd One en route to Rome, the Pope reiterated his call on members of the faith to exercise  moral responsibility in limiting the number of their children by practicing 'responsible parenting.'

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Pope Francis said there are numerous church-approved methods of birth control and that institutions should not meddle and impose their views on couples regarding family size.

The Pope lambasted what he termed as the 'ideological colonization' of third world countries by groups and organizations that force their ideas of gay marriages and artificial family methods  in exchange of financial aid and grants.

He cited the African bishops' lament that some international aid agencies provide financial help to families only if they will use artificial birth control  methods such as the pill and the use of condom.

"Every people deserves to conserve its identity without being ideologically colonized," the Pope  said.

Pope Francis warned about this 'colonization' in reference to the growing number of same-sex marriages in the United States and the widespread use of modern birth control methods.

Although the Church espouses the 'regulation' of births, it was quick to say that this does not mean that Catholics should reproduce many children and become irresponsible parents.

Vatican observers said this has been, so far, the strongest message of the Pope on modern contraception, upholding a 1968 document reaffirming the Church's opposition to artificial means of contraception.

The Pope narrated an incident when he met a pregnant woman carrying her eighth child in the Philippines."That is an irresponsibility," said the Pope.

Modern contraception, a rather thorny, contentious, and controversial issue in the Philippines for a long time, can now be accessed by the Filipinos following the passage of the Reproductive Health Law, despite strong opposition from the Church.

TagsPope Francis, birth control, artificial methods, Vatican