Starting a family in Italy is becoming a “titanic effort” that only the wealthy can afford, according to Pope Francis.
He stated dogs were replacing children in many families while speaking at a symposium on Italy’s demographic dilemma.
There were also scores of young people on stage wearing t-shirts that said “we can do this” – an allusion to encouraging people to have more children.
Italy has one of the EU’s lowest fertility rates, and births fell below 400,000 last year, a new low.
The Pope added in his speech in Rome that the dropping birth rate indicated a lack of hope for the future, with younger generations burdened by a feeling of uncertainty, fragility, and precariousness.
© REUTERS
“Difficulty finding a stable job, sky-high rents, and insufficient wages are real problems,” he explained.
The Pope warned that dogs were replacing children in some families, recounting how a lady unzipped her suitcase and requested him to “bless her baby.”
Except it wasn’t a baby; it was a little dog.
“I lost patience and yelled at her: there are many hungry children, and you bring me a dog?” He continued, eliciting a burst of applause from the audience.
Many nations, including Japan, South Korea, Puerto Rico, and Portugal, are seeing a decline in birth rates.
However, Italy, the eurozone’s third-largest member, is concerned about its decreasing population.
By 2050, the country might lose nearly one-fifth of its population. At the same time, the population is rapidly aging; the number of centenarians in Italy has more than quadrupled in the previous 20 years.
Italy is termed “the country of empty cribs” by many. Last month, Elon Musk tweeted, “Italy is disappearing!”
Experts worry that the country would become impoverished as a result of the demographic issue. According to Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, Italy’s falling birthrate would reduce the country’s GDP by 18% by 2042.
There are several reasons why Italian women are having fewer children.
Young people struggle to find stable jobs and the childcare support system is often inadequate, which makes it hard for mothers to juggle work and family life.
Six out of 10 mothers don’t have access to nurseries, according to the charity Save the Children.
Many pregnant women are forced to resign, and some get sacked when they get pregnant.
Italy’s falling birth rate is a “national emergency,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared beside Pope Francis.
The picture of the two presidents speaking together, both clad in white from head to toe, was tremendously significant in Italy, demonstrating that the matter is so vital that it transcends politics and religion.
“Fixing the problem is a top priority.” “We want Italy to have a bright future again,” she declared.
Mrs Meloni, who received the highest proportion of women’s votes in the September elections but does not consider herself a feminist, has made mothers and families fundamental to her message.
She has established an ad hoc ministry to handle the issue of dropping birth rates, and her administration has intimated that they may encourage individuals to have children by exempting them from paying income tax.
Pope Francis urged legislators to develop “forward-thinking solutions to prevent Italy from devolving into sadness.”
At the end of his address, numerous pregnant women lined up on stage to have him touch their bellies and bless them.
Shortly after, a swarm of youngsters encircled the Pontiff in a group embrace, which was most likely organized by the event’s organizers.
By Sofia Bettiza
BBC News, Rome