Pope Francis decries couples favoring pets over children

Pope Francis bemoaned Wednesday a “demographic winter” where “people do not want to have children” but instead opt for dogs and cats as pets.

The spiritual leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics also urged the faithful who could not have children to “not be afraid to choose the path of adoption, to take the ’risk’ of welcoming children.”

Francis gave his remarks at his weekly general audience, where he taught about St. Joseph, Mary’s husband, as the “foster father” of Jesus.

The pontiff, who spoke in Italian, said that “many, many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one – but they have two dogs, two cats … Yes, dogs and cats take the place of children. Yes, it’s funny, I understand, but it is the reality.”

These priorities are contrary to human flourishing and civilization, Francis said.

“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,” he said.

Francis said, “I ask of Saint Joseph the grace to awaken consciences and to think about this: about having children. Fatherhood and motherhood are the fullness of the life of a person. Think about this.”

The pope urged married couples to consider either adopting children first, despite the risks.

“Those who live in the world and get married, think about having children, of giving life, which they will take from you for the future,” he said.

Francis added, “If you cannot have children, think about adoption. It is a risk, yes. 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.”

The Washington Times has asked several animal-welfare groups, including the ASPCA, North Shore Animal League, and Best Friends for comment.

The pontiff isn’t entirely opposed to animals, however.

In 2014, he told a Vatican audience that “one day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”