Couple walking their beagle dog in the autumn countryside. Photo courtesy of Halfpoint via Shutterstock
Posted on 06/02/2014 1:30:43 PM PDT by NYer
Couple walking their beagle dog in the autumn countryside. Photo courtesy of Halfpoint via Shutterstock
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Monday (June 2) warned married couples against substituting cats and dogs for children — a move that he said leads to the “bitterness of loneliness” in old age.
The pope made his comments as he celebrated daily Mass with 15 married couples in the chapel at the Santa Marta residence where he lives inside the Vatican.
He reminded the couples, whose marriages ranged from 25 to 60 years, of the need for faithfulness, perseverance and fertility in maintaining a Christian marriage.
But he went a step further and strongly criticized those couples who choose not to have children, saying they had been influenced by a culture of “well-being” that says life is better without kids.
“You can go explore the world, go on holiday, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be carefree,” the pope said.
“It might be better — more comfortable — to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog. Is this true or not? Have you seen it?
“Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness.“
The 77-year-old pontiff made his comments after recent figures confirmed a drop in birth rates in the U.S., Italy and elsewhere.
Figures released by Italy’s official statistics agency Istat last week showed the country’s birth rate hit a record low in 2013, with the birth of only 515,000 babies — a drop of 64,000 over the past five years — and a worrying trend as the population ages.
Last year, Time magazine provoked a national debate with a controversial issue entitled “The Childfree Life,” which also showed a dramatic fall in the U.S. birth rate and the role of personal choice.
“Married life must be persevering, because otherwise love cannot go forward. Perseverance in love, in good times and in difficult times, when there are problems: problems with the children, economic problems,” the pope said.
It’s all very logical, isn’t it?
/s
It’s actually depressing trying to keep up with the bitter male “logic” around here.
When the Pope stops Priest from messing with children then, and only then will he have the right to tell anyone how to live their life.
I’m very tired of this Pope. We need some white smoke from the Vatican, soon.
Jesua, Mary and Joseph pray for us.
While I understand the Pope was talking about married couples, I don’t think this bothers me with single people, or newlyweds.
It also depends on the audience. When I was in my mid twenties and spoke to my mom about my cat, calling it her “ grandcat” she would chastise me and tell me not to say that. It wasn’t until I became disabled and found that no men wanted to “date” me anymore, she endulged me. But as for real grandchildren, I would have given anything on earth to have made it possible.
Why?
Do you have any friends who harp on over-population? I have one who says he never celebrates the birth of a human baby for this reason.
This situation is going to accelerate in the upcoming decades as baby-boomers age. Consider also how many are lesbian and homosexual—I realize that homosexuals have children but not in the numbers straights do—and it’s critical. Every time I hear of some kind of elder exploitation I think one of the reasons it happens is there are no children or grandchildren to look after them. I know what people are saying already-the children are the ones doing the exploiting, and sometimes they are, but I still think having some family is better. Since families are smaller, fewer people even have neices and nephews. I don’t, since I was an only. One of my clients is a baby-boomer. Neither her nor her two brothers had children and I don’t think any of them have ever married. One is dead now.
Your dog or cat is very nice but can’t warn you away from the nice guy who happens to be working in Nigeria or the gorgeous Russian girl who instantly fell in love with you over the Internet
I suppose people are wondering why I myself never married. I don’t really know. I certainly expected to, and thought that I wanted to, maybe I didnt want to as much as I thought. I used to say I just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A certain amount of it is luck and fate, I guess. I think that it would have been a mistake to marry any of the three men who offered, for different reasons in each case.
My advice to young people would be to give finding a suitable spouse high priority from your late teens on. Don’t take things for granted. Don’t think that you have “plenty of time.” Women, especially, really don’t. Above all, don’t let ANYBODY make you feel bad for wanting marriage and a family.
Are we going to tell God to quit making souls?
I wouldn’t. I don’t think that this person believes in God so I don’t know where he thinks souls come from. These people are still defending Paul Erlich, the population bomb guy, whose predictions for the most part have not come true. Climate change is another subject you don’t want to discuss with them.
Oh my... You are just too logical! ;)
My. Niece loves her doggies and yes she would be on the rooftop in serious celebration if she could have a child. Problem is her reproductive organs do not allow that. So, God bless those little critters that help to fill the void. Love our pets, they are an important part of the family. My grandmother had much joy from Jimmy-Joe...the doggie my brother gave to our Grandparents. When my Grandpa passed away Jimmy-Joe was always by my Grandmother’s side .
...and no I would not cook and eat my dogs...sick.
;-)
“**because they are unable to have children, and despite a cheerful demeanor, may well feel pain because of their loss.**
But have they made an effort to adopt?”
My adult niece and her husband pampered their two pure-bred, huge dogs, even as they proceeded through the process of qualifying for “fos-adopt”. They looked happy on the outside, but suffered on the inside. Now, several years later, they have two adopted children whom they adore. I haven’t seen a picture of their dogs on FaceBook in a couple of years, although I believe they still have them. There are new pictures of the children almost every day.
I agree with his comments about not having children, But the puppy analogy is inane.
Damn right.
Miscarriages suck and time does *not* heal all wounds.
I agree with Pope this time....in the US....decent folks need to birth more
Yes...the skin color aspect....partially....is a hot button.
OK, so let me put it this way: not every woman who married late in life and can’t have children did so because they thought they “could have it all”.
Stop generalizing.
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