Pope Francis expressed severe concern that many are preferring dogs and cats, but not to give birth to children. Addressing the general audience at Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, his first public address in the new year, he deplored that many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one — but they have two dogs, two cats.
He cautioned that it is a civilizational loss when dogs and cats replace children in society, encouraging couples to “take the risk” to become parents. He further warned that such this denial of fatherhood and motherhood diminishes us, takes away humanity.
The pope said that with this “selfishness” on the part of some couples, “civilization becomes older” as the “richness of fatherhood and motherhood is lost.”
Stating that Fatherhood and motherhood are the fullness of a person’s life. He asked, “Think about this.” Continuing his series of meditations on the life of St. Joseph by focusing on the saint’s role as the foster father of Jesus, he said:
“This particular aspect of Joseph allows us today to reflect on fatherhood and motherhood. And this, I believe, is very important: to think about fatherhood today because we live in an era of notorious orphanhood.”
Pope Francis asserted that “having a child is always a risk, both natural and adopted.” But he added that “it is more risky not to have any.”
“It is more risky to deny fatherhood, or to deny motherhood, be it physical and the spiritual. A man and a woman who voluntarily do not develop a sense of fatherhood and motherhood are missing something fundamental, important. Think about this, please,” he added. Pope Francis spent much of his audience speaking about “accepting life through the path of adoption,” which he called “a generous and beautiful” act.
“How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them. And how many spouses wish to be fathers and mothers, but fail for biological reasons; or, although they already have children, they want to share family affection with those who have been deprived of it. We must not be afraid to choose the path of adoption, to take the ‘risk’ of acceptance,” he added.
