Too many people have pets instead of babies: Pope

Pope Francis reignited his long-running quarrel with childless pet owners after he praised couples with five children and criticised those who prefer cats and dogs during an address in Indonesia.

The Pope has reignited his long-running quarrel with childless pet owners after he praised couples with five children and criticised those who prefer cats and dogs.

Addressing politicians in Indonesia on Wednesday at the start of his four-nation tour of southeast Asia, Francis said: “In your country people have three, four or five children, that’s an example for every country, while some prefer to only have a cat or a little dog.” He added: “This can’t go well.”

When Indonesia’s President Widodo laughed at the quip, Francis turned to him and said: “It’s true, isn’t it?”

Throughout his papacy, Francis has called for bigger families to counter plunging birth rates in the West, and pet owners have often come in for criticism.

In 2023, Francis recalled how a woman had asked him to bless her dog, calling it “my baby”. He said at the time: “I lost my patience and scolded her, saying many children are hungry and you bring me a dog.”

Francis has bemoaned the fertility rate in the European Union of about 1.5 births per woman, far lower than the 2.1 rate needed to sustain the population.

This year he called Europe “old, tired and resigned”, claiming: “Homes are filled with objects and emptied of children, becoming very sad places. There is no shortage of little dogs, cats – these are not lacking. There is a lack of children.”

Pope Francis delivers his address as Indonesia's President Joko Widodo looks on. Picture: AFP.

Francis has found common ground on turning around Italy’s demographic decline with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, who shared a stage with him at a conference on boosting birth rates.

In the US JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, has been strongly criticised for referring to Democratic politicians as “a bunch of childless cat ladies.”

During a meeting with 200 Jesuit priests in Jakarta on Wednesday, Francis said their youth was “the thing that strikes me most”.

During his 12-day visit to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore, Francis, 87, will also focus on tolerance between faiths and the fight against interreligious violence.

“In order to foster a peaceful and fruitful harmony that ensures peace … the Church desires to strengthen interreligious dialogue,” he said in his speech at the presidential palace.

Indonesia’s eight million Catholics, who make up 3 per cent of the majority Muslim population, have been targeted in attacks, including a suicide bombing in 2021 outside a cathedral on the island of Sulawesi in which 20 people were injured.

Extremists were using “deception and violence” to divide faiths, Francis said.

Francis will celebrate Mass at a football stadium in Jakarta on Thursday and Indonesia’s religious affairs ministry has asked television channels not to air Muslim prayer videos as a sign of respect.

The Jakarta visit marks the start of a gruelling trip for Francis, who is using a wheelchair. He appeared in good spirits on Wednesday, joking at the end of his audience with the Jesuit priests: “The police have come to take me away.”

The Times