Pope Francis To Couples: Raise Children, Not Pets
Pope Francis told married couples that dogs and cats are no substitutes for children — and marriages without children end with “the bitterness of loneliness.’’
The pope addressed 15 couples, who have been married between 25 and 60 years, on Monday during a Mass in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican, where he emphasized three qualities that are important in Christian marriages — faithfulness, perseverance, and fruitfulness.
Pope Francis said Jesus does not like marriages that are sterile by choice and such marriages end in solitude, according to Vatican Radio.
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The pope also acknowledged that some couples face fertility issues and urged those couples to remain faithful.
Earlier this week, Pope Francis also spoke about families, saying they are under attack, when he addressed more than 50,000 Catholics at Rome’s soccer stadium, theAssociated Press reports.
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In his remarks on Monday, the pope also told married couples that they must remain faithful in their unions, and should persevere in good times and bad times.
Read Pope Francis’s full remarks
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