Today\u2026there is a certain selfishness. The other day, I spoke about the demographic winter there is nowadays, in which we see that people do not want to have children, or just one and no more. And many, many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one\u2013but they have two dogs, two cats\u2026 Yes, dogs and cats take the place of children. Yes, it\u2019s funny, I understand, but it is the reality.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
And when we prefer pets to children, the pope continued, men, women, and all of society are diminished:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2026It 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. But denial, a man or woman who do not develop the sense of fatherhood or motherhood, they are lacking something, something fundamental, something important.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
This is clearly not a message that many in the West will want to hear. With the cult of materialism and hedonism dominating much of Europe, America, and the rest of the developed world, having a pet seems a better option than a having a child as pets demand less of our time, treasure, and talent. Pets allow people to continue in their indulgent lifestyles; having to raise a child would take too much away from our focus on ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But having and raising children is one of the most rewarding\u2014if not the most rewarding\u2014experiences in life. Yes, raising a child will entail much sacrifice and there often will be periods of pain and heartbreak\u2014but raising a child also brings untold joy and love into the lives of parents. Indeed, the love of a mother and father that brings a child into the world is an icon of the love among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The natural family brings a little bit of heaven to earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Francis is giving a bold witness to the truth: many people in the West are having fewer\u2014or maybe even zero\u2014children because of selfishness. While this a truth that many in the West will not want to hear, it is truth that we can no longer ignore. Indeed, the continued existence of our countries literally depends on how we respond to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n