Silphium, The Ancient Contraceptive Herb Driven To Extinction [Video]

As an institution of spiritual authority, the Catholic Church wields much influence over the attitudes and beliefs of millions of people around the globe.  From scriptural doctrine to less refined codes of behavior, the Pope, of which there have been 266 over the last 2000 years, holds the power to inform the more than 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, or 2.18 billion Christians globally on the many aspects of Christian faith and behavior expected by the church hierarchy.

Of course, not everyone agrees with the teachings of the church, and in that regard, there are some subjects that are, shall we say, a little sticky in public discourse. Pope Francis – the first ever pope to bear the name Francis, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi – has been making long strides in steering the Catholic faith to a more progressive, forgiving, and moderate position on many issues of social …