"Huge pay difference between men, women, around the world is pure scandal"

Pope Francis has described the huge difference in salaries between men and women around the world as a "pure scandal".

Christian Post reports that while speaking at his weekly audience in St Peter's Square, the Pontiff said: "Why is it taken for granted that women must earn less than men? No! They have the same rights," adding that Christians should support the idea of equal pay for equal work.

According to a report by the European Commission, on average, women in the EU earn 16 per cent less than men per hour, despite the fact that women generally perform better at school and university.

The Pope's remarks were part of a broader reflection on marriage and the family.

Discussing the causes of family breakdown, the Pope said that the "Christian seed of radical equality between men and women must bring new fruits" in our time.

He spoke of the need for Christian couples to recognise that they marry "not only for themselves but for the good of the community and for all of society."

But while celebrating women's equality with men he also said it was important to recognise the differences between men and women within the family. "We must recognize the maternity of women and the paternity of men as a perennially valid treasure, for the benefit of children," he said.