Pope Francis told a group of 15 wedded couples they should be "fruitful" during a daily Mass on Monday, cautioning them against substituting dogs and cats for children.
Time magazine reported that The Pope focused his sermon on three traits that make for a successful Christian marriage — faithfulness, perseverance, and fruitfulness.
"This culture of well-being from 10 years ago convinced us: It’s better not to have children! It’s better! You can go explore the world, go on holiday, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be care-free . . . it might be better — more comfortable — to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog," he stated.
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"Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness. It is not fruitful, it does not do what Jesus does with his Church: He makes His church fruitful."
He went on to acknowledge fertility issues in some couples, and suggesting those who face problems should remain faithful.
Pope Francis' remarks echo those he made just a day before at a soccer stadium in Rome, which was packed with 50,000 Catholics,
according to The Associated Press.
"Families are the home Church where Jesus grows. He grows in the spouses’ love and in the children’s lives. For this reason, the enemy attacks the family so much," he told a family after giving his formal speech to the gathered crowd.
"The devil does not want it. He tries to destroy it, to prevent love from becoming free . . . may the Lord bless the family and make it strong in the face of the crisis by which the devil wants to destroy it."
Breitbart News noted that Pope Francis "is fast becoming known as the Pope of the family and of the devil," having seemingly performed an impromptu exorcism on a boy in a wheel chair in May, and speaking of the devil often.
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