Pope Francis, during his visit to Indonesia as part of a wider tour of Southeast Asia, praised families raising three or more children and urged couples who choose to have animals instead of children to reconsider their priorities. According to him, such a trend can have negative consequences, informs Daily Mail.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church repeatedly addressed the problem of childlessness, considering it a serious threat to society. Back in 2023, Pope Francis expressed displeasure when a woman asked to bless her dog, calling the animal a “child.” Then the pontiff admitted that he had lost patience, because he believes that the real joy and responsibility lies in raising children.
Francis has long emphasized that the low birth rate, especially in the countries of Western Europe, is a worrying phenomenon. In particular, in Europe, the birth rate decreased to 1.5 children per woman, which is significantly below the level of 2.1 necessary to maintain the population. The pontiff is convinced that focusing on pets takes the joy out of real family life.
In addition, during his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis drew attention to the importance of religious harmony. Along with Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar, he signed a declaration at Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, Istiqlal, calling for religious unity and condemning the use of religion as a means of fueling conflict. The Pope emphasized that religion should serve to protect human dignity and promote peace.
The trip to Indonesia was Pope Francis’ third trip to the region and the first since John Paul II’s visit in 1989. Catholics in Indonesia make up less than 3% of the population, a much smaller proportion compared to the Muslim majority (87%). After his visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis left for Papua New Guinea on September 6, and also plans to visit East Timor and Singapore. This tour will be the longest in his pontificate.
