- By Sofia Bettiza
- BBC News, Rome
1 hour ago
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Pope Francis blessed pregnant women at the national conference on Italy’s demographics in Rome
Pope Francis warned that starting a family in Italy would become a “titanium effort” that only the wealthy could afford.
At a conference on the demographic crisis in Italy, he said pets are replacing children in many households.
Also on stage were dozens of young people wearing t-shirts that read, “We can do this” — a nod to trying to convince people to have more children.
Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the EU and the birth rate fell below 400,000 last year – a new low.
In his speech in Rome, the Pope said that the declining birth rate signals a lack of hope for the future and that younger generations are burdened with a sense of insecurity, fragility and precariousness.
“Difficulties in finding steady employment, extortionate rents and inadequate wages are real problems,” he said.
The pope warned that in some households pets were replacing children and told how a woman opened her bag and asked him to “bless her baby”.
However, it was not a baby, but a small dog.
“I lost patience and said to her: There are many children who are hungry and you bring me a dog?” he added, drawing applause from the crowd.
Birth rates are slowing in many countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Puerto Rico and Portugal.
But a shrinking population is a major concern for Italy – the eurozone’s third largest country.
By 2050, the country could lose nearly a fifth of its people. At the same time, the population is aging rapidly – the number of centenarians in Italy has tripled in the last 20 years.
Italy is often referred to as the “land of empty cribs”. Even Elon Musk tweeted last month: “Italy disappears!”
Experts warn that the population crisis will lead to the impoverishment of the country. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Italy’s declining birth rate will result in an 18% drop in gross domestic product (GDP) by 2042.
There are many reasons why women in Italy are having fewer children.
Young people find it difficult to find stable employment and the childcare system is often inadequate, making it difficult for mothers to balance work and family life.
According to the charity Save the Children, six out of ten mothers do not have access to kindergarten.
Many pregnant women are forced to resign and some are fired if they become pregnant.
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The Pope shared the stage with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni
Italy’s falling birth rate “is a national emergency,” said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking alongside Pope Francis.
The image of the two heads of state – both dressed head to toe in white – was highly iconic in Italy, showing that the issue is so urgent it transcends politics or religion.
“Solving the problem has absolute priority. We want Italy to have a bright future again,” she said.
Ms Meloni, who won the largest share of women’s votes in September’s election but does not consider herself a feminist, has made mothers and families a central part of her discourse.
She has created an ad hoc ministry to address the problem of declining birth rates, and her government has indicated it will encourage people to have children through income tax exemptions.
Pope Francis called on politicians to “find forward-looking solutions to prevent Italy from falling into sadness”.
At the end of his speech, several pregnant women lined up on the stage for him to touch their stomachs and give them a blessing.
Shortly thereafter, a crowd of children surrounded the Pope in a group hug – something that was likely staged by the organizers of the event.