Francis by Patrick J. Marrin for January 10, 2022

“When you come from a place where people live like dogs, it is scandalous to see dogs live like people.”

Kudos on the turnaround time!

Ah, squirrels.

I have a dog. I have children. The dog is a dog, not a child. I understand liking your pet, but they are not people. And they are an indulgence available to only a few people with discretionary resources.

My wife and I have always had a dog. It’s nice to have another heartbeat in the house and something to take care of and love and get love back. Every dog we’ve ever had has been a rescue.

Our dogs were not only playmates for our sons, but they taught them responsibility.

At our stage of life, we won’t last long enough to raise another child.

there are plenty of people – maybe it is time to slow down a bit

Don’t judge. It’s rewarding to love a pet and feel the love you get back from them. A rewarding experience. If you don’t want children it’s no ones else’s business.

Pets are not humans and humans are not pets. People from all walks of life forget this all too often no matter how much they love either or both of them, or especially if they do not.

What the Pope really should have said is that people who chose to have pets over children for selfish reasons should examine their lives and figure out why they are so selfish*

Then he should have acknowledged that there are a lot of unselfish reasons for not having children and the world should examine itself to figure out why those people are being put in a position where having children would be a problem.

Why do so many people feel that the world world is not a safe place to raise children in, and what can be done about that?

Why do so many feel that they can’t afford children, and what should be done about that?

Why do people end up with a spouse who would make an unfit parent, why can’t they either get out of that relationship or find help for their spouse’s problems?

Why do woman put off or forgo children because it having kids would sidetrack their career (the problem is not women putting career ahead of offspring, the problem is gender inequality in the workplace), something must be done about that.

Thinking of a childless couple I know – why is adoption so impossible for people of modest means?

* About those selfish people – if someone feels like having kids would (these are direct quotes from people I know) “cramp my lifestyle,” “mess up my house,” “take up too much of my time,” etcetera, etcetera, etcetera – the thing to do is leave them alone, let them enjoy in their self-centeredness, and be grateful that you are not the aunt/grandma/neighbor/elder sibling of a neglected child. If people don’t want to have children, they shouldn’t be shamed into having them.

Whoa! This was news from last week. Usually, it takes 3 or for weeks for a news story to be referenced in Francis</>.

As far back as the 1970s, my father was critical of couples who had pets but no kids.

My wife and I couldn’t have children. We have pets. Call us selfish if you want to, but we have both spent our careers trying to help other people, including children. I don’t see how a childless pope has the right to put us down if we also want to help animals.

i distrust people who don’t like children or animals, but if a person choses not to have children, who is anyone to judge?

Don’t fall into the idea that a stereotype is the be all and end all.

I love my cats. But whenever anyone refers to them a my babies I point out I have birth three times and adopted once. I would have noticed it any of those had four legs and fur.

Much of what Francis said has been taken out of context, and/or misinterpreted. But there will always be those that want to throw stones instead of kisses!