The Pope has  that people who  to have pets instead of children were  selfishly. Pope Francis was  worshippers in Rome. He told his audience that substituting children for pets was a "denial of fatherhood and motherhood". He added: "Today, we  a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. Sometimes they have just one, and that's it, but they  dogs and cats that  the place of children." Pope Francis  couples to adopt children. He said: "We must not  afraid to choose the path of adoption, to take the risk of welcoming children. Having a child is always a risk, but there  more risk in not having a child."
It is not the first time Pope Francis has  out on this topic. In 2014, he said choosing pets over children was detrimental to our future. He  it a "phenomenon of cultural degradation". He  that the emotional relationship with pets was "easier" than the "complex" relationship with children. In continuing this theme, he  the downward trend in birth rates across many countries a "demographic winter". Not everyone  with the Pope's comments. The New York Post  out the contradiction of Francis  his name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. It added: "Dogs  us more human. They  us better. Dogs, I , are superior to most people."