Pope Francis suggested that people who choose pets over children were selfish. He said substituting children for pets was a "denial" of parenthood. He added: "Today, we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child.…They have dogs and cats that take the place of children." He encouraged couples to adopt children. He said: "Having a child is always a risk, but there is more risk in not having a child."

Pope Francis also spoke on this topic in 2014. He said choosing pets over children could harm our future. He said the emotional relationship with pets was "easier" than the "complex" relationship with children. Francis called the decline in birth rates a "demographic winter". Not everyone agreed with the Pope. The New York Post said Francis' name is from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. It added: "Dogs are superior to most people."