Jakarta –
Italy also experienced sex recession. Pope Francis considers it a real threat that causes society to choose pets over having children.
He spoke at a conference on Italy’s demographic crisis. The Pope said pets would replace children in many households.
“Starting a family in Italy is an extraordinary undertaking that only the rich can afford,” Pope Francis warned.
On stage were dozens of young people, wearing T-shirts saying ‘we can do this’. That line refers to convincing people to have more children.
Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in the European Union. Births there fell below 400,000 last year, the latest low.
In his speech in Rome, the Pope said the declining birth rate signaled a lack of hope for the future, with the younger generation burdened by a sense of uncertainty, fragility and precarious moments.
“Difficulty in finding a stable job, high rental prices and insufficient wages are real problems,” he said.
Warning that pets are replacing real children in some households. The Pope recounted how a woman opened her bag and asked him to bless her baby, not the real baby but the little dog.
“I lost my temper and told him to leave. There are a lot of hungry children, and you brought me a dog?” he added, prompting a standing ovation from the audience.
Birth rates are slowing in many countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Puerto Rico and Portugal as well as China. But a shrinking population is a major concern for Italy, the European Union’s third-largest country.
The country could lose almost a fifth of its population by 2050. At the same time, its population is aging rapidly, the number of centenarians in Italy has tripled over the past 20 years.
Italy is often nicknamed ‘The land of the empty cradle’. Even Elon Musk tweeted last month: “Italy is disappearing!”
Experts warn the population crisis will lead to poverty in the nation. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that by 2042, Italy’s declining birth rate will reduce its gross domestic product (GDP) by 18%.
Watch Video “Situation of Schools in Japan Forced to Close Due to the Sex Recession“
(msl/wsw)
2023-05-15 06:05:35
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