According to the British "Guardian" reported on the 5th, Pope Francis said that couples who like pets more than children are selfish. According to the report, the statement may anger millions of people who own cats and dogs.
Infographic (Visual China)
The Catholic leader, who was embroiled in a debate, said replacing children with pets "takes away our humanity." At a public rally at the Vatican, the pope spoke: "Today ... We see some form of selfishness. We see some people who don't want children. Sometimes they only have one child, that's all, but they replace the children with dogs and cats. It may make people laugh, but it's true. ”
Pope Francis argues that keeping pets is "a denial of fatherhood and motherhood that weakens us and takes away our humanity". As a result, "civilization ages without humanity because we lose the rich fatherly and maternal love, and it is the state that suffers." Franciscan noted that couples who are unable to have children for biological reasons could consider adopting a child, and he urged potential parents to "not be afraid" to embark on the path of parenthood. "Having a baby is always risky, but not having a child is a bigger risk," he said.
Images such as "crazy cat ladies" and couples with "fur babies" are often attacked on social media. The former is described as a lonely, unloved female figure, while the latter is described as a self-centered narcissist or professionally focused, and having children is inconvenient for them.
At the same time, declining birth rates in developed countries are worrying. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the share of such families, made up of married couples and their children, fell from 40 percent of all U.S. households in 1970 to 20 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, 70 percent of U.S. households have pets.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, birth rates in many countries have further declined significantly. In Italy, there were 22% fewer babies born in December 2020 than in the same period last year. Spain fell 20 percent and France 13 percent.
In 2014, Pope Francis told The Courier that having a pet instead of having a child is "another phenomenon of cultural degradation" and that it is easier to have an emotional relationship with a pet than a "complex" relationship between parents and children.
(Editor: WDQ)