Mika: My Parents Spanked Me ‘with a Hairbrush on the Side of the Highway’

Pope says spanking OK with conditions (USA Today)

Pope Francis says that spanking is OK as long as it preserves the dignity of the child and is not done in the face.

The pontiff made the comments Wednesday during his general audience in St. Peter's Square.

"One time, I heard a father say, 'At times I have to hit my children a bit, but never in the face so as not to humiliate them,' " the Pope said. "That's great," Francis continued. "He had a sense of dignity. He should punish, do the right thing, and then move on."