Pope Francis has taken on the gender pay gap. Speaking in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis called wage inequality a “pure scandal.”

Pope Francis: “As Christians, we must become more demanding about these issues. For instance, we must support decisively the right to equal pay for equal work. Why is it taken for granted that women must earn less than men? No! They have the same rights. The discrepancy is a pure scandal.”

Pope Francis has rejected the possibility of equal work for women within the Catholic Church, saying the “door is closed” to women becoming priests.