'Selfish': Pope Unhappy With Couples Who Choose To Raise Pets Over Children, Pet Owners React
Speaking on parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican, the 85-year-old Roman pontiff said that people who preferred to have pets over their own children are 'selfish', and that substituting pets for children 'takes away our humanity'.
It is common to see people addressing their pets as their babies. However, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church is not happy with couples who choose to raise pets over children.
Speaking on parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican, the 85-year-old Roman pontiff said that people who preferred to have pets over their own children are 'selfish' and that substituting pets for children 'takes away our humanity'.
AFP
¡°Today ¡ we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. 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 told a general audience at the Vatican on 5 January.
He added: "Yes, it's funny, I understand, but it is the reality. And this denial of fatherhood or motherhood diminishes us, it takes away our humanity. And in this way, civilization becomes aged and without humanity because it loses the richness of fatherhood and motherhood. And our homeland suffers, as it does not have children."
He also told potential parents 'not to be afraid' of having children.
¡°Having a child is always a risk, but there is more risk in not having a child,¡± he said.
AFP
He also said that couples who are unable to conceive due to biological reasons should consider adoption.
"How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them? Having a child is always a risk, either naturally or by adoption. But it is riskier not to have them. It is riskier to deny fatherhood, or to deny motherhood, be it real or spiritual," he said.
People took to social media to express what they thought of the Pope's statement.
A user wrote, "People who *choose* not to have children are not being "selfish", but "responsible". Pets are not "substitutes for children", they are just extensions of family, as are friends."
"Well, he can say whatever he wants, but he has to remember that he has 0 children as well, and therefore he is selfish himself as well," wrote another user.
AFP
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