Pope Francis said today at substituting having children for pets shows ‘a certain kind of selfishness’.
He was speaking about parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican.
“Today we see that some people do not want to have a child,” the Holy Father said.
“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.”
Pope Francis said that the practice a is ‘denial of fatherhood and motherhood’ that ‘takes away our humanity.’
The Holy Father continued: “civilisation grows old without humanity because we lose the richness of fatherhood and motherhood, and it is the country that suffers.”
While encouraging adoption for couples who cannot have children, he urged potential parents ‘not to be afraid’ of having a child.