The Pope Weaponized Parenthood By Shaming Those Without Children.
This week, Pope Francis said that choosing to have pets instead of children was selfish, a detriment to civilization and that it led to a loss in people’s humanity. Damn, Francis! Right for the jugular.
As a proud feline-parent and childless heathen, I feel qualified to give my purrspective.
Reproduction is a central tenet of the Catholic Church. Fewer Catholic babies means fewer Catholic adults so when the global birth rate drops, the survival of the Church is threatened. After all, Every Sperm Is Sacred. And because it would be way too complex to address the myriad of reasons why birth rates are dropping, the Pope resorted to good old-fashioned shame. It’s been used for centuries to keep people in line and the religious variety is extra effective at keeping people obedient.
Sure, being referred to by the Pope as a sub-human, detriment to civilization doesn’t feel great but I take heart in knowing that this is not about me (or you) and how we choose to structure our families. I see it for what it is- a frantic attempt to protect the Church’s power by maintaining control of its people. Hearing the Pope say that not having children will result in the loss of my humanity sort of feels like seeing that wacky guy on the corner with the massive Jesus poster telling me to REPENT NOW AND…
