POPE FRANCIS DEMANDS EQUAL PAYFOR WOMENs WORK OF EQUAL VALUE

USPA NEWS - Pope Francis demanded equal pay for women performing work of equal value to men while at the same time Wednesday it was revealed that he will soon become their third pontiff to visit the Great Synagogue of Rome.

"As Christians we must become more demanding, for example, by supporting the right of equal pay for equal work, why should it be taken for granted that women must earn less than men?," Francis said during his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square. "The disparity is pure scandal".
Rome Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, meanwhile, told ANSA that Francis was set to visit the synagogue, without revealing the date of the planned visit. "Yes, yes, we are preparing for this event," said Di Segni, who discussed the issue during an audience with the pope on Monday. Francis will be the third pontiff to go to the synagogue, after John Paul II's historic visit on April 13, 1986, and Benedict XVI's on January 17, 2010.

John Paul famously embraced and prayed with former chief rabbi Elio Toaff, who died 10 days ago, during the 1986 visit. During his general audience, the pope also bemoaned the erosion of family life in many parts of the world. "Today, society is confronted with fewer marriages," the Argentine pope said. "In many countries, separation of couples is increasing, while the number of children is decreasing.
"These broken marriage bonds affect the young most of all, as they come to view marriage as something temporary. "Perhaps there is a fear of failure which prevents men and women from trusting in Christ's promise of grace in marriage and in the family.