ITALY: Not even Pope Francis, who has been seen as a much needed reformer by many Catholics, is above backlash on social media. He came under fire on Wednesday after he suggested that couples who have pets instead of children are selfish, and further warned that the decision to forgo parenthood could lead to a loss of humanity and could even be a detriment to civilization, CNN reported.
“We see that people do not want to have children, or just one and no more. And many, many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one — but they have two dogs, two cats … Yes, dogs and cats take the place of children,” the Pope said. “Yes, it’s funny, I understand, but it is the reality. And this denial of fatherhood or motherhood diminishes us, it takes away our humanity. And in this way civilization becomes aged and without humanity, because it loses the richness of fatherhood and motherhood. And our homeland suffers, as it does not have children.”
While the comments certainly echo the Catholic Church’s teachings about the importance of couples bearing and raising children, the reaction was swift and loud on social media. Many users shared images of their pets and expressed their love for their animal friends, while others were quite blunt and direct on the matter.
“The Pope has the right to have his opinion…but pet ownership makes a strong case here,” wrote satirist Heather Gardner (@heathergtv), who shared a photo of her dog Photo.
“Cat Twitter is ready because Pope Francis says those who choose pets over having children are selfish,” suggested @clockoutwars.
Author Sarah McLean (@sarahmaclean) was more direct, tweeting: “Billionaires and oil companies right there, Pope Francis calling dog owners selfish here.”
“Well, the Pope may have a stupid opinion. It’s a very stupid opinion,” suggested Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley), host of the StartMeUp podcast.
Children’s author Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) was equally direct in his comments on the Pope, “Even a broken Pope is right occasionally.”
The Pope in the Glass House…
Users on Twitter were also quick to address the fact that Pope Francis has no children.
“Interesting remark from the Pope, who apparently forgot that he deliberately chose not to have children,” wrote Leo Montague (@LeoMontague91).
“Ah yes, the famous and selfless pope has a lot of kids,” says writer/columnist Tracy King (@tkingdot)
“First, I’m usually very supportive of Pope Francis. Second, does that mean that people who choose to be priests are selfish? Third, he may want to open up and believe that many people are actually making the selfless decision not to have children, ” mused by author Matthew Dodd (@matthewjdowd).
ceremonial lines
As expected, a fair number of tweets also addressed the issue of Catholic priests accused of molesting children, a further sign that liturgical boundaries are often crossed on social platforms. In short, in the age of social media, Pope Francis seems to be seen as fair game — despite the fact that he probably doesn’t mean it’s such a controversial issue or topic.
“For everyone: After all, pets are children for many people these days, and more and more adults are waiting longer and longer if they decide to have children,” said Brand Marketing Expert and Social Media Scott Steinberg said pundits.
“Furthermore, at the end of the day I checked that the decision to have a baby — which is life-changing and comes with countless responsibilities — is a personal choice,” Steinberg added.
Of course, Pope Francis has suggested that this personal choice was a selfish one, and as noted in the tweet above — among thousands of tweets — many users felt compelled to respond. Clearly, the Pope is not above this immediate response.
“It’s fair game for anyone on social media these days — political, religious, everything,” Steinberg added. “If you choose to share your thoughts in the court of public opinion, don’t be surprised if the public decides to respond in reverse.”