Pope Francis says choosing pets over kids is selfish

Pope Francis has suggested people who choose to have pets over children are acting selfishly.

The Pope’s comments came as he was discussing parenthood during a general audience at the Vatican in Rome.

“Today … we see a form of selfishness,” he told the audience. “We see that some people do not want to have a child.

“Sometimes they have one, and that’s it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children.

“This may make people laugh, but it is a reality.”

The practice “is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity”, he added.