ROME — Pope Francis said on Friday the cost of raising children was too high and that parents needed more help if countries such as Italy were to overcome the low birth rates that were undermining their future.
Speaking at a conference on Italy’s dearth of babies, Francis said polls showed most young people wanted to have children, but were worried about the expense.
“Their dreams of a new life, the seeds of the country’s rebirth, come up against a demographic winter that is cold and dark,” the pope said.
“For the future to be good, we need to look after families, especially young families, who are beset by worries that risk paralyzing their life plans. I am thinking of th…
Keep on reading: Pope warns against Italy’s ‘demographic winter’