Pope Francis received members of the Association for Subsidiarity and the Modernization of Local Authorities (ASMEL) on January 20 and warned of the dire consequences of low birthrates.
“I am worried about the low birthrate,” he said. “There is a culture of depopulation that comes from the fact that few children are born. It is true, anyone can have a dog, it is true: but we need children.”
“In Italy, Spain, there is a need for children,” he continued. “Think that one of these Mediterranean countries has an average age of 46 years!”
The Pontiff added, “We must take the problem of the birth rate seriously, take it seriously because the future of the country is at stake there, isn’t it? The future is at stake. Having children is a duty to survive, to go forward. Think about this. This is not an advertisement for a birth agency, no, no; but I want to emphasize this: the drama of the birth rate. This must be considered very seriously.”
The Pope also discussed other topics in his address, especially the lack of attention to the depopulated inland areas of Italy. “Today I want to thank you for your commitment and for your work, which tries to contribute to protecting the dignity of people and care for the common home, even with scarce resources and amidst a thousand difficulties,” he said.