The Pope visits the Philippines

I see that while in the Philippines, the Pope has reaffirmed the church's contraception ban and has criticized the government for not helping the poor.

What he doesn't talk about is how the Church's opposition to birth control in the Philippines has contributed to the terrible poverty there. The Philippines has one of the fastest growing populations in Asia (100 million people), and an unintended pregnancy rate of 50%.

Mind-boggling that the Church chooses to make such a stand on such a questionable and contested teaching.

Some reading ... Family planning and the Philippines