Indonesia: Pope Francis praises the wealth of children – instead of dogs and cats

Jakarta - Pope Francis has already publicly criticised several times that there is a trend in Italy to spoil dogs like surrogate children, while too few children are born. He is now taking up the topic again during his trip to Asia.

Published on 04.09.2024 at 11:29 –

Pope Francis has praised the abundance of children in Indonesian families. Families in the Asian country have three, four, five or more children. This is also reflected in the country's average age, he said in a speech to political leaders in Jakarta on Wednesday. The head of the Church called on the population to continue on this path and thus set an example for other countries where people prefer a dog or a cat to a child.

Francis repeatedly criticises couples who do not have children and keep pets instead. In Italy in particular, a country with one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, he regularly calls for responsible parenthood.

In the Indonesian capital, the Pope also spoke out in favour of more dialogue between religions and against all forms of extremism and intolerance. The Catholic Church wants to strengthen interreligious dialogue "to promote a peaceful and constructive harmony that ensures peace and unites forces to overcome the imbalances and misery that still exist in some parts of the country", said Francis. The Pope was speaking at the start of his almost two-week visit to the Asia-Pacific region. The 87-year-old was clearly feeling the strain of the long journey and the challenging climatic conditions. (tmg/KNA)