“Having Children: A Vital Sign of Hope for Nations, Says Pope at Italian Fertility Conference”

(Vatican News Network)Only 393,000 babies were born in Italy last year, “a record low”. Starting from this data, Pope Francis started his speech at a conference on fertility in Italy on May 12. Concerned that today’s culture is “hostile” to the family, the Pope called on everyone to have hope in the future in order to cope with a culture so “hostile” to the family, to have more children and to overcome the almost insurmountable constraints for women.

Previously, the Pope had participated in this second session on fertility in 2021. Sitting with the pope at the time was Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Sitting next to the Pope this time is the current Prime Minister of Italy Ms. Meloni.

In his speech, the Pope said, “having children is an important indicator of the hope of a nation. When the fertility rate is low, it means that there is little hope”. The Pope thus speaks of policies because “under the watchful eye, the free market lacks the necessary corrections, becomes barbaric and creates ever-increasing situations and inequalities”. In this regard, “women suffer the most”.

“Young women are often forced to choose between a career and motherhood, or are overwhelmed by the burden of caring for loved ones, especially the vulnerable elderly and the disabled. At this moment, women are the work of the fittest Slaves to rules that also prevent them from being mothers.”

Next, the Pope described two events that took place in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. The first thing was that the Pope’s secretary met a woman pushing a stroller in the square. He wanted to bless the child, but found a puppy inside; the other thing happened 15 days ago. “During the public audience, I went to greet people. A woman of about 50 years old came and I greeted her. She opened her bag and said to me: ‘You can bless my child Is it a puppy? I got impatient and scolded her, saying, “Many children are starving, and you have a puppy.””

“This is the situation now. But if things go on like this, it will become the norm in the future,” said the Pope. This undermines confidence in the future. “Today, having children is seen as a huge responsibility for the family. However, this unfortunately limits the minds of younger generations, who grow up in instability, even in disillusionment and fear”.

It is dangerous for people to feel alone and forced to look up to themselves. “It means slowly eroding communal life, succumbing to days of solitude, where each must be on his own.” Therefore, “only the richest are free to choose their form of life. It is not fair”.

Faced with an unstable future, it is the youth who pay the price. For them, “tomorrow seems like an impossible mountain to climb”. “It’s hard to find a stable job, it’s hard to stay afloat, housing prices are prohibitive, rents are skyrocketing, salaries are not enough to live on, these are real problems.”

The Pope mentioned an incident a few years ago: “There was a long queue in front of the transportation company. It was the queue of women looking for a job. When it was a woman’s turn, she handed in the information, and the other party said: ‘I work 11 hours a day. , the salary is 600 euros. Is it okay?” The woman said: “Why is this? 600 euros, 11 hours, people can’t survive?” The other party replied: “Look at this team and choose for yourself. If you don’t want to, just go hungry!”” This is the reality.

It’s a symptom of a family-unfriendly, even family-friendly culture. Such a culture, the Pope noted, “centers on the needs of the individual and constantly asserts the rights of the individual, without talking about the rights of the family”. Therefore, we need “far-sighted policies” that need to “cultivate a fertile soil to welcome the new spring and leave the population winter behind”.

“The fertility challenge is a matter of hope”. “Nursing hope is an action involving society, knowledge, art, and politics. To nourish hope is to contribute one’s own strength and resources to serve the public well-being and sow the seeds of the future. Hope inspires change and makes the future better.”

Hope, the Pope concluded, urges us to “mobilize to find solutions”. The Pope also reminded that “children are not personal assets, but people who contribute to the growth of all people and carry the richness of humanity passed down from generation to generation”.

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