Criticism Of Couples Preferring Pets Over Adoption Of Children, Pope Francis: A Form Of Selfishness

Pope Francis. (Source: Vatican Media via slmedia.org)

JAKARTA - Pope Francis on Wednesday called for simplified adoption procedures, urging couples to have more children as he presided over his first general audience of the New Year.

He repeated his call for couples to have more children to overcome what he called the 'demographic winter' in much of the West, saying 'this denial of motherhood makes us smaller, takes away our humanity'.

Pope Francis laments the fact that pets 'sometimes replace children in society.'

"Today we see a form of selfishness. We see some people do not want to have children," the Pope quoted The National News on January 6.

"Sometimes they have one (child) and that's it, but they have dogs and cats replacing the kids. It may make people laugh, but it's the reality."

He added that this practice is a denial of parenthood and diminishes us, deprives us of our humanity."

"So civilization grows old without humanity because we lose our fatherly and motherly riches, and it is the state that suffers," he said.

He also called for couples who cannot have children to be open to adoption options.

"Choices like this are one of the highest forms of love, and being father and mother. How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them!" Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis has been photographed petting a dog, leaving a baby lamb slung over his shoulder during the Epiphany in 2014, to petting tigers and baby panthers.

However, unlike his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI who is a cat lover, Pope Francis is not known to have pets at his residence in the Vatican.

In his address, Pope Francis argued for simplification of adoption procedures "so that the dreams of so many children who need families, and so many couples who want to give themselves in love, can come true".

Separately, the Italian International Organization for the Protection of Animals (OIPA) said it was "strange to think that the pope considers the love of our lives to be quantitatively limited", citing the sacrifices of volunteers who save animal lives.

“It is clear to (Pope) Francis that animal life is not as important as human life. But those who feel that life is sacred love life outside of a species," OIPA President Massimo Comparotto said in a statement.