Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that couples who prefer pets rather than have children show “some selfishness”. His speeches quickly sparked worldwide criticism.
Speaking of parenthood among the general audience in the Vatican, the pope said that pets “sometimes take the place of children” in society. “Today … we see a kind of self-consciousness,” the Pope told the audience, adding, “We see that some people do not want to have a baby.”
“Sometimes they have it, that’s all, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of the children. This may be funny but it is true, “AFP quoted him as saying. This practice according to him “is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and it degrades us, it takes away our personality”.
Pope Francis later said that people who are unable to have children for natural reasons should consider adoption, encouraging people not to be “afraid” of initiating parenthood. “Having a baby is always dangerous, but there is a great risk of not having a baby,” she said.
However, this is not the first time Pope Francis has expressed a similar view. In 2014, he said that having pets instead of children was “another cultural phenomenon”, and that emotional relationships with pets were “easier” than “difficult” relationships between parents and children, BBC News reported.
Soon, the speeches sparked a strong reaction on social media, especially on Twitter where his name dominated styles. Although there were people who agreed with the Pope’s views, his opinion offended many online.
While some criticize him for calling people “pets”, sending pictures with their “four-legged children”, others emphasize the right to choose, arguing that parents should not have children because of a bond that could lead to unhappy childhood. children.
From sarcastic tweets, memes and more, network users have been expressing their anger at the online pontiff.
