Pope Francis criticized the weapons and contraceptive industries this Friday (10), accusing them of destroying or preventing life, in a speech at a conference on the demographic crisis that is plaguing Italy and Europe.
Europe's fertility rate has remained at around 1.5 births per woman for the past decade. This is above levels seen in East Asia, but far short of the 2.1 needed to maintain population levels.
The baby shortage is particularly acute in Italy, where births fell to a record low in 2023, the 15th consecutive annual decline. So far, successive governments have failed to reverse the trend despite repeated promises.
“There is a fact that a demography scholar told me. At the moment, the investments that generate the most revenue are weapons factories and contraceptives. One destroys life, the other prevents life… What future do we have? It’s ugly,” said the pope.
Francisco, 87, has long been a staunch opponent of the weapons industry. He also reaffirmed the Catholic Church's long-standing ban on artificial birth control, although he supports natural ways of preventing pregnancy.
“Some think, excuse me if I use the word, that to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits, but no,” he said during a flight back from the Philippines in 2015, adding that the Church promotes “responsible fatherhood.” .
At the Rome conference, Francis said that the number of births was the first indicator of “the hope of a people”, and that Europe was increasingly turning into an “old, tired and resigned” continent.
“Homes are full of objects and empty of children, making them very sad places. There's no shortage of puppies, there's no shortage of cats. There is a lack of children”, declared the pontiff.
Governments need to implement “serious and effective” policies in favor of families to deal with the issue, Francisco said, calling on young people to have confidence in the future.
He called for policies that mean mothers don't have to choose between work and childcare, and that give young couples the chance for stable employment and the ability to buy a home.
“I know that for many of you the future may seem disquieting and that amid declining birth rates, wars, pandemics and climate change, it is not easy to keep hope alive. But don’t give up, have faith,” he said, referring to young people.
Source: CNN Brasil
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