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The Pope has suggested that
who choose to have pets instead of children were acting
. Pope Francis was addressing
in Rome. He told his audience that substituting children for
was a "denial of fatherhood and motherhood". He added: "Today, we see a
of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. Sometimes they have just
, and that's it, but they have dogs and cats that take the
of children." Pope Francis encouraged
to adopt children. He said: "We must not be afraid to choose the
of adoption, to take the risk of welcoming children. Having a child is always a
, but there is more risk in not having a child."
