Pope criticizes couples who opt to remain childless

[Galactica]

Pope Francis blamed a "culture of well-being" and comfort for convincing married couples that a carefree life of world travel and summer homes was better than having children. He said married couples should look at how Jesus loves his church to learn how to be faithful, perseverant and fruitful in their vocation. About 15 married couples celebrating their 25th, 50th or 60th anniversaries joined the pope June 2 for his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives.

In his homily, Pope Francis said fidelity, perseverance and fruitfulness were the three characteristics of God's love for his church and should be the same three pillars of a Christian marriage. Just as the church is fruitful by generating new children in Christ through baptism, marriage should be open to new life, the pope said in his homily, according to a report by Vatican Radio. "In a marriage, this fruitfulness can sometimes be put to the test, when children don't come or when they are ill," he said.

Couples who deal with infertility or loss can still look to Jesus and "draw the strength of fruitfulness that Jesus has with his church." However, "there are things that Jesus doesn't like," he said, such as married couples "who don't want children, who want to be without fruitfulness." The pope blamed "this culture of well-being" for convincing married men and women to intentionally remain childless. This culture of comfort, he said, "has convinced us that 'it's better to not have children! It's better. That way you can see the world, be on vacation, you can have a fancy home in the country, you'll be carefree.'"

People think it is better or easier "to have a puppy, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the puppy. Isn't this true or not? Have you seen this?" he asked the people in the congregation. "And in the end, this marriage will end in old age in solitude, with the bitterness of bad solitude." The pope said Jesus is always faithful to his church -- "his bride: beautiful, holy, sinner, but he loves her just the same." Jesus is always faithful, even to those who sin and deny him; and "this fidelity is like a light" that shines on marriage, showing what "the faithfulness of love" looks like, he said. In addition to always being faithful, love also must be "untiring in its perseverance," he said.

Just as Jesus forgives his church, spouses must ask each other for forgiveness so that "matrimonial love can go on," he said. "Perseverance in love" must endure, in good times and bad, "when there are problems, problems with the kids, money problems, problems here and there." "Love perseveres," he said. "It keeps going, always seeking to resolve things in order to save the family."

Link.

 

[w1z4rd]

I forget how many kids Jesus had.

 

[Sinbad]

I forget how many kids Jesus had.

The pope will excommunicate you for implying he was part of a couple.

 

[Skrilla]

Doesn't he have some kiddie he needs to fiddle somewhere.

 

[Nick333]

The clergy's obviously thinking ahead and starting to see a lack of variety in their sex lives in the future.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

But it is their own choice to remain childless?

 

[R13...]

But it is their own choice to remain childless?

Doesn't the RCC discourage birth control? Maybe this is just another way of saying the same without wanting to upset everyone.

 

[RanzB]

If this is what he actually said, Pope Numbnuts can kiss my ass. And my puppy's ass too.

 

[Nick333]

Doesn't the RCC discourage birth control? Maybe this is just another way of saying the same without wanting to upset everyone.

Only artificial birth control. They're totally cool with the rhythm method.

 

[Spizz]

Lol, hilarious. Why dont you lead the way Franky Boy.

 

[Chevron]

But it is their own choice to remain childless?

But then without kids for the catholics to pass their children down to, you ultimately get fewer catholics overall.

Currently Muslims outnumber christians by quite a bit. Whichever religion breeds the most will eventually win.

 

[LazyLion]

The other religions are out breeding us!

 

[Maverick Jester]

However, "there are things that Jesus doesn't like," he said, such as married couples "who don't want children, who want to be without fruitfulness."

 

[Ninja'd]

Thread needs more satanboy.

 

[Ninja'd]

I forget how many kids Jesus had.

Loads if those other stories are true.

 

[yebocan]

But then without kids for the catholics to pass their children down to, you ultimately get fewer catholics overall.

Currently Muslims outnumber christians by quite a bit. Whichever religion breeds the most will eventually win.

Spot on....Revenue Streams will dry up, and the pool of alter boys for the priest to take his pick from, will shrink...

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Doesn't the RCC discourage birth control? Maybe this is just another way of saying the same without wanting to upset everyone.

They think condoms are worse than AIDS, so make of that what you will.

Actually, it's worse than that. From their own catechism:

"every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil

So they're cool with the rhythm method as Nick said, but pulling out is intrinsically evil.

 

[Spizz]

But then without kids for the catholics to pass their children down to, you ultimately get fewer catholics overall.

Currently Muslims outnumber christians by quite a bit. Whichever religion breeds the most will eventually win.

RCC has always been about numbers and filling the coffers from bottom to top. No contraception means more money for Pope and his pals, never mind the devastation caused by AIDS, that's just a minor blip.

I really don't see how even the most devout Catholic can't see something wrong with this. Or have they succeeded in training people not to think at all?

 

[dominic]

pope calling the fertile lack?

 

[saor]

People think it is better or easier "to have a puppy, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the puppy. Isn't this true or not? Have you seen this?" he asked the people in the congregation.

It's not about it being easier. It's about people making their own decisions on how they'd like to live. So what if they choose to pursue their interests, hobbies, work, leisure activities etc? It seems the notion of conscious choice is lost on him and he'd prefer that people adhere blindly to some ridiculous notion...maybe in order to keep their minds in the habit of blindly accepting ridiculous notions.

Meh. I'd rather a couple doing what they want to do than have a kid because some old geezer said so.