Couple walking their beagle dog in the autumn countryside. Photo courtesy of Halfpoint via Shutterstock
Posted on 06/02/2014 1:30:43 PM PDT by NYer
Couple walking their beagle dog in the autumn countryside. Photo courtesy of Halfpoint via Shutterstock
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Monday (June 2) warned married couples against substituting cats and dogs for children — a move that he said leads to the “bitterness of loneliness” in old age.
The pope made his comments as he celebrated daily Mass with 15 married couples in the chapel at the Santa Marta residence where he lives inside the Vatican.
He reminded the couples, whose marriages ranged from 25 to 60 years, of the need for faithfulness, perseverance and fertility in maintaining a Christian marriage.
But he went a step further and strongly criticized those couples who choose not to have children, saying they had been influenced by a culture of “well-being” that says life is better without kids.
“You can go explore the world, go on holiday, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be carefree,” the pope said.
“It might be better — more comfortable — to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog. Is this true or not? Have you seen it?
“Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness.“
The 77-year-old pontiff made his comments after recent figures confirmed a drop in birth rates in the U.S., Italy and elsewhere.
Figures released by Italy’s official statistics agency Istat last week showed the country’s birth rate hit a record low in 2013, with the birth of only 515,000 babies — a drop of 64,000 over the past five years — and a worrying trend as the population ages.
Last year, Time magazine provoked a national debate with a controversial issue entitled “The Childfree Life,” which also showed a dramatic fall in the U.S. birth rate and the role of personal choice.
“Married life must be persevering, because otherwise love cannot go forward. Perseverance in love, in good times and in difficult times, when there are problems: problems with the children, economic problems,” the pope said.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis blamed a "culture of well-being" and comfort for convincing married couples that a carefree life of world travel and summer homes was better than having children.
He said married couples should look at how Jesus loves his church to learn how to be faithful, perseverant and fruitful in their vocation.
About 15 married couples celebrating their 25th, 50th or 60th anniversaries joined the pope June 2 for his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.
In his homily, Pope Francis said fidelity, perseverance and fruitfulness were the three characteristics of God's love for his church and should be the same three pillars of a Christian marriage.
Just as the church is fruitful by generating new children in Christ through baptism, marriage should be open to new life, the pope said in his homily, according to a report by Vatican Radio.
"In a marriage, this fruitfulness can sometimes be put to the test, when children don't come or when they are ill," he said.
Couples who deal with infertility or loss can still look to Jesus and "draw the strength of fruitfulness that Jesus has with his church."
However, "there are things that Jesus doesn't like," he said, such as married couples "who don't want children, who want to be without fruitfulness."
The pope blamed "this culture of well-being" for convincing married men and women to intentionally remain childless.
This culture of comfort, he said, "has convinced us that 'it's better to not have children! It's better. That way you can see the world, be on vacation, you can have a fancy home in the country, you'll be carefree.'"
People think it is better or easier "to have a puppy, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the puppy. Isn't this true or not? Have you seen this?" he asked the people in the congregation.
"And in the end, this marriage will end in old age in solitude, with the bitterness of bad solitude."
The pope said Jesus is always faithful to his church -- "his bride: beautiful, holy, sinner, but he loves her just the same."
Jesus is always faithful, even to those who sin and deny him; and "this fidelity is like a light" that shines on marriage, showing what "the faithfulness of love" looks like, he said.
In addition to always being faithful, love also must be "untiring in its perseverance," he said.
Just as Jesus forgives his church, spouses must ask each other for forgiveness so that "matrimonial love can go on," he said. "Perseverance in love" must endure, in good times and bad, "when there are problems, problems with the kids, money problems, problems here and there."
"Love perseveres," he said. "It keeps going, always seeking to resolve things in order to save the family."
Ping!
In before the: I love my pets better than humans because they don’t hurt me but people have.
/johnny
Sometimes my daughter pretends to be a cat or a dog.
Bless his soul, I don’t know why we can’t have all. Pets and people. All of them God’s blessings in various ways.
What creeps me out most here is folks who make a point of being gratuitously childless, or single, or other things that militate against conventional family. Some people have unfortunate circumstances. And there are other circumstances (ahem, good Pope, why not recommend that Catholic priests have pets?) that come from one’s religious callings.
IB4TPWMA
Completely agree with him. When people refer to their pets as their “chidlren” or their “babies”, it makes me want to upchuck. After I slap them.
Our three cats are not amused!
https://soundcloud.com/daniel-levy-6/demo-07-catfish
My best friend’s my huntin’ dog named Catfish
Since you turned on me and socked and knocked me flat which
Left me a sobbin and a cryin in a sad ditch;
Yeah my best friend is my huntin’ dog named Catfish!
(HUMOR ONLY... PLEASE DON’T BITE MY HEAD OFF)
They must not be Cat-holic.
Let’s not automatically assume that this is a choice. Some are babying a dog or cat because they are unable to have children, and despite a cheerful demeanor, may well feel pain because of their loss.
We love our dog. He is a member of the family. But if my wife and kids were starving I would cook him myself. I love animals, but they aren’t people.
Many don’t get that
And why should anybody do that. My sweet cat/dogs are NOT my babies or my children. It disrespects the way that God brings blessings. Why not let everything be original. I wouldn’t call my son my dog would I???
Protestomcats, all.
Ambiguous... a freudian slip? Would you cook yourself for Fido? (OK, OK, just being sillily humorous here.)
Great point. We had trouble having kids. We have one in the NICU right now. For years before the birth of my oldest daughter, our dog was as close as we could get. Many a night my bride cried holding our carin terrier wishing for a baby. Now we have two kids, but still love our dog
Hey, shouldn’t that beagle’s face be pixilated? :)
That’s cute. :)
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