Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that couples who prefer pets to having children exhibit “a certain selfishness”. His remarks quickly went viral drawing criticism from around the world.
Speaking on parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican, the pontiff said that pets “sometimes take the place of children” in society. “Today… we see a form of selfishness,” the Pope told the audience, adding, “We see that some people do not want to have a child.”
“Sometimes they have one, and that’s it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh but it is a reality,” AFP quoted him. The practice, according to him “is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity”.
Pope Francis risked the ire of the world’s childless dog and cat owners during a general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, suggesting that people who substitute pets for kids exhibit “a certain selfishness” https://t.co/oBu0bqZ3pc pic.twitter.com/iaZPCa6c95
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 5, 2022
Pope Francis later also said that people who are unable to have children for biological reasons should consider adoption, urging people “not to be afraid” in embarking on parenthood. “Having a child is always a risk, but there is more risk in not having a child,” he said.
Saint Joseph, you who loved Jesus with fatherly love, be close to the many children who have no family and who long for a daddy and mommy. Support the couples who are unable to have children, help them to discover, through this suffering, a greater plan. #GeneralAudience
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 5, 2022
However, this is not the first time Pope Francis has expressed a similar opinion. In 2014, he said that having pets instead of children was “another phenomenon of cultural degradation”, and that emotional relationships with pets were “easier” than the “complex” relationship between parents and children, BBC News reported.
Soon, the remarks triggered strong reactions on social media sites, particularly on Twitter where his name dominated trends. While there were some people who agreed with Pope’s views, his opinion largely irked many on the internet.
While some slammed him for dubbing people with pets as “selfish”, posting pictures with their “four-legged children”, others underlined the right to choose, arguing that parents should not have children out of obligation which may lead to unhappy childhood for such kids.
From sarcastic tweets, memes and more, netizens have been expressing their ire at the pontiff online.
1)#PopeFrancis took the name of the patron saint of animals.
2)Having children is a choice, not an obligation.
3)Catholic opposition to birth control and abortion rights doesn’t lead to loving families.
4)This is yet another issue that Jesus never mentioned. https://t.co/XiyUUPvsZC— Reverend Michael Coren (@michaelcoren) January 6, 2022
Interesting words from the Pope, who has apparently forgotten he has himself deliberately chosen not to have children.https://t.co/MFvcRi0U7s
— Cllr Leo Montague (@LeoMontague91) January 5, 2022
The Pope and so many others have such a fetishization of the uteruses of women. Stay out of ’em. Not everyone wants kids. Society barely cares about the kids who are already born and need love, shelter, and happy homes. https://t.co/2mGInHQb4O
— THEE Stephanie. (@qsteph) January 5, 2022
Dear @Pontifex,
Hope you enjoy this pic of my family. We are selfish nurses who are giving our lives to serve our community and our pets.
Sincerely,
The Crockers pic.twitter.com/y4CFADdig8— Emma Crocker, DNP, RN (@EmmaCrockerDNP) January 6, 2022
Dear @Pontifex : with utmost respect, while I believe a strong and loving family is a true blessing, not all have the physical, mental, or especially financial ability today to raise a child properly. Little Gilda needed my help, so I took her in. Here she is with your namesake. pic.twitter.com/wSE9EVPPXu
— Amanda K. Wolfe (@yacketycat) January 5, 2022
Billionaires and oil companies are right there, and Pope Francis is out here calling people with dogs selfish. https://t.co/w0GSVc0wtD
— sarah maclean (@sarahmaclean) January 5, 2022
Dear @Pontifex
I am a pet and my humans love petit me as their child
Loving a pet does not take away humanity and will never do#Kedi #petitme #humanity #love #pets pic.twitter.com/OrlgHHggkP
— Kedi Kitty 🇹🇷🇨🇦 (@kedi_sofa) January 6, 2022
Or a cute cat.😊 pic.twitter.com/uZdSL1gFLW
— Christine Ericksson (@sfsportsfan01) January 5, 2022
I think its selfish for older generations to pressure younger people into having children when they have created a social and political landscape that makes it almost impossible. If you want us to have children, help us afford it, tackle inequality, and look after the planet
— Rach (@RachelTiplady3) January 5, 2022
about a dozen notable saints who had pets and no children. St Anthony had a pet pig!
Also notably childless in Catholic history: the Pope, Jesus Christ. https://t.co/tmoXNhl8aV pic.twitter.com/FNvub2fEYM
— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) January 5, 2022
Worry about all those sexual abuse allegations against the church instead of childless people pic.twitter.com/5ggoAJTpGr
— Enter The Void (@killl_the_rich) January 5, 2022
Drop my kids off with the pope for the weekend then see what he has to say come Monday.
— Andi (@smiles_and_nods) January 6, 2022
Yep. Oh and I choose to listen to Betty rather than the pope. pic.twitter.com/ttqHKmpQ5M
— LynnMarie (@belizedrmz) January 5, 2022
I gotta say, if I were the pope, I would simply not have opinions about other people’s children. https://t.co/1fPVhBoF2t
— Alice Southey (@alicesouthey) January 5, 2022