Pope Francis Calls Couples 'Selfish' For Having Pets Instead Of Children

Published January 6, 2022

Ever since he took on the highest responsibility within the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has crafted an image as the gentler, more modern face of an institution that's often considered out of touch.

Part of this has come from his efforts to address the decades of abuse scandals the Church has been mired in, while others have considered his acceptance of LGBTQ+ Catholics a refreshing change of pace for the Church.

But at the same time, that's not to say that he always shares the modern sensibilities of his younger followers. And that has become particularly apparent in his recent statements regarding couples who choose not to have children.

Although there are many reasons why someone would choose not to have children, it seems they don't make any difference to Pope Francis.

Pexels | Andrea Piacquadio

According to The Daily Mail, he spoke about the "form of selfishness" he saw in people who forego having children in favor of forming a similar relationship with their pets.

As he put it, "Sometimes they have one, and that's it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh but it is a reality."

As for why he feels this way and why he thinks it's any business of his, he points to this phenomenon as contributing to declining birth rates in the developed world.

And in addition to his concerns about a "demographic winter" in which "civilization grows old," he also expressed the opinion that rejecting parenthood diminishes our humanity.

In his words, "Having a child is always a risk, but there is more risk in not having a child, in denying paternity."

And when it comes to couples who can't have children, he urged them to be open to adoption.

Adding to that, he also called for simplified adoption procedures so that more children in the system can be connected with their potential adoptive parents.

As he said, "This kind of choice is among the highest forms of love, and of fatherhood and motherhood. How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them!"

At the same time, there was no word on how the parents in question are supposed to afford having children in today's world. There was also no indication that the codes barring members of the clergy from having children of their own would change as a result of this concern.

h/t: The Daily Mail