Pope Francis is making headlines for his controversial stance on pet ownership as it relates to having children. Â
Earlier this week, while speaking to the public at the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his concerns over the decline in birthrates across the developed world. In a surprising turn, he declared that pet owners without children were largely to blame.Â
“Today… we see a form of selfishness,” the pope stated. “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.”
According to the US Census Bureau, only 40% of US households contained children in 2021, compared to 48% in 2001. Meanwhile, 70% of US households contain a pet, up from 56% in 1988.
Pope Francis is the leader of the global Catholic Church. He resides in Vatican City, Italy.Â
Related article: The Top 4 Crucial Lessons To Teach Your Kids About Pet Ownership
This is not the first time that Pope Francis has condemned pet owners for their lifestyle choices.
In 2014, the pope declared that having people in society who value having pets over children was “a sign of cultural degradation.” He further hypothesized that people choose pets over children because relationships with animals were “easier” and “more programmable.” He went on to state that the relationships formed between people are far more complex.
Holding nothing back, Pope Francis went on to say that those who substitute children for animals will feel the “bitterness of loneliness” in old age.Â
At this time, it is not believed that Pope Francis owns any pets, although he has been photographed with animals a handful of times. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, was a known lover of cats and was actually the proud owner of a tuxedo cat named Chico.
Pope Francis’ comments this week come to some as a shock, especially given his name. The sitting pope was ironically named after Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. It is also well known that each pope personally and carefully chooses his name prior to taking on the role.
For what it’s worth, the pope has not always been against pet ownership.
In 2015, Pope Francis wrote that “because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.”
