Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Pope tells young Italians to stop being 'selfish' and 'egotistical' and have more children instead of pets

Pope tells young Italians to stop being 'selfish' and 'egotistical' and have more children instead of pets

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also pledges that her government will do everything it can to reverse the rapidly falling birth rate in Italy, but warns the country must not turn to surrogacy as an answer.

"Selfish, egotistical" young Italians should have more children and fewer pets, the Pope has told a conference of pro-family organisations in Rome.

He was speaking with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in an effort to urge political leaders to reverse a "demographic winter" in the country, which last year saw a population dip of more than 300,000.

After blasting couples who were choosing to have pets instead of children, the Pope said dedicated resources should be diverted to help them grow families, adding it was necessary to "plant the future" with hope.

"Let us not resign ourselves to sterile dullness and pessimism," Francis told an annual gathering of pro-family organisations in Rome.

"Let us not believe that history is already marked, that nothing can be done to reverse the trend."

Italy had a record low of live births in 2022, at 392,598, which when combined with a high number of registered deaths, at 713,499, has meant the country has accelerated a demographic trend that could impact its social security system.

Ms Meloni, who is considered to be a right wing leader in Italy, and her government, is backing a campaign to encourage at least 500,000 births every year by 2033, which is the rate demographers say is needed to protect the economy from collapse so that more people can work as the rate of pensioners increases.

The premier ran on a pro-family campaign of "God, family, fatherland", with her government proposing several measures to encourage families to have more children.

Italy's fertility rate is among the lowest in the world, at 1.24 children per woman.

A lack of affordable childcare, low pay, and unstable work are among the reasons why many women put off having children.

Pope Francis joined Giorgia Meloni at a conference of pro-family organisations in Rome


Ms Meloni, who does have a child with her partner, told the conference she wants to reverse the declining trend of births, but warned surrogacy should be avoided, touching on broader political points around migrants and same-sex couples.

"We want a nation where it is no longer scandalous to say that - whatever the legitimate, free choices, inclinations of each person - we are all born of a man or a woman," Ms Meloni said, to applause.

"Where it is not taboo to say that motherhood is not for sale, that wombs are not for rent and children are not over-the-counter products that you can choose on the shelf as if you were in the supermarket and maybe return if then the product does not match what you expect."

She also spoke in a religious sense, saying her government wants to begin by "respecting the dignity, the uniqueness, the sacredness of every single human being, because each of us has a unique and unrepeatable genetic code. And this, like it or not, has something of the sacred".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×