Pope Francis made his stance on fur babies clear, stating that couples should have children instead of raising cats and dogs inside their homes. The 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church said during his remarks to a general audience that those who choose to raise pets instead of kids are being "selfish."

The Pope said that the growing trend of raising pets instead of children is a new "form of selfishness." He said that he has noticed that many people now do not want to have children and are instead taking in cats and dogs as replacements.

In his speech, the Pope said called on couples who can't conceive to consider adoption, adding that millions of children around the world are in need of nurturing parents. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, adopting children may be as financially prohibitive as conceiving as costs can run up to $70,000 for couples in some countries.

Pope Francis acknowledged that there are risks to those who bear children, but the risk is greater for those who choose not to have them. He explained that it is spiritually risky for people to deny themselves fatherhood and motherhood.

The Pope mentioned his comments on the trend while talking about Jesus Christ's foster father, Joseph. He said that Joseph was a prime example of someone who gave the "highest form of love" to his adopted son.

Pope Francis suggested that there may be something fundamentally wrong with people who do not want to have children. He said that those who do not develop a sense of fatherhood or motherhood would lack something significant in their lives and take away some of their humanity.

 The Pope's comments come as birth rates continue to decline in major countries across the globe. In the U.S., childbirth rates had dropped by 7% in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. In Italy, birth rates declined by more than 9% last year, while rates in Spain dropped by 8%.

In recent surveys, including those in Europe, the U.S., and in Asia, most couples who have chosen not to conceive cited the increasing cost of living and of having children as the main reasons for their decision.

Pope Francis is a staunch crusader of parenthood. In his New Year's sermon, the Pope talked in length about the importance of motherhood while also calling on an end to violence against women. In his sermon, he said that those that hurt women are directly insulting God. He emphasized the importance of women, who have the ability to bestow life into the world.