Pope: It's sometimes 'morally necessary' for parents to separate

VATICAN CITY, June 24 (UPI) -- Pope Francis suggested Wednesday that separations within families are necessary in some situations.

In his weekly general audience at the Vatican, the pope stressed parental mindfulness of the suffering of their children. Francis said there are many families in "irregular situations," and the church must learn "how to accompany them so that the child does not become daddy or mummy's hostage."

"There are cases in which separation is inevitable. Sometimes, it can even be morally necessary, when it's about shielding the weaker spouse or young children from the more serious wounds caused by intimidation and violence, humiliation and exploitation."

The issue of greater compassion within the church for troubled families will be on the agenda of a synod, a global convocation of bishops, meeting in October to discuss the church's relevance in family life.

A 2014 synod at the Vatican angered conservative bishops to the point they united to block the approval of a statement with unprecedented language offering greater communication with gay people, and more options for the treatment of divorced Catholics.