Who knew that the pope would get into trouble by speaking about people and pets? Yes, the Holy Father is in the eye of a storm that he inadvertently started when he said that people who choose to have pets over children are acting selfishly.
The archbishop of Rome was speaking about parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican in Rome.
"Today ... we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. Sometimes they have one, and that's it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh, but it is a reality. It is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity."
He added that people who aren't able to get kids for biological reasons should consider adoption. The pope also addressed the "demographic winter" - a possible reference to countries with declining birth rates.
His recent statement echoes an earlier comment he made in 2014, where he said, "Another phenomenon of cultural degradation and that emotional relationship with pets was 'easier' than the 'complex' relationship between parents and children."
Beyond the glass, creative ways to consume Okras and get full benefits