Pets Must Not Take The Place Of Children In Italy: Pope

Pope Francis has expressed concern that having children in Italy has turned into a “titanic effort” that only the wealthy can afford. He noted that pets are replacing children in many households, and young individuals wearing t-shirts with the phrase “we can do this” were present on stage.

He also noted that there is little hope for the future and that young generations are burdened by the inability to find a steady job, exorbitant rent, and low pay.

The Pope related how a woman had opened her bag and requested that he “bless her baby” but instead of a baby, there was a little dog, as a warning that dogs were taking the place of children in some households. Many places are seeing a slowdown in the birth rate, and Italy is concerned about a declining population by 2050. The number of centenarians in Italy has tripled in the past 20 years.

Italy is facing a demographic crisis, leading to an 18% GDP decline by 2042. Women in Italy are having fewer children due to a variety of reasons, including difficulty finding steady jobs and inadequate childcare support. Six out of ten mothers lack access to nurseries, leading to many being compelled to quit their jobs and some even getting fired.

Pope Francis urged lawmakers to come up with “forward-thinking solutions to stop Italy from descending into sadness.” Several expecting mothers lined up on stage to receive blessings from him when he finished speaking. After a little while, a group embrace of kids enveloped the Pontiff, which was probably staged by the event’s planners.