Spiritual Snippet -- A Culture of Comfort

My comments & opinion on the following article:

Pope blames "culture of comfort" for intentionally childless marriages (June 2, 2014)  


Recently in a General Audience, Pope Francis commented on the state of marriages. He blames the "culture of comfort" on people intentionally forgoing children for the pursuit of travel and carefree living.  He sparked controversy, especially among Animal rights advocates, when he said people think it's much easier "to have a puppy, two cats, and the love goes to two cats and the puppy.  Isn't this true or not? Have you seen this?...And in the end this marriage will end in the old age of solitude, with the bitterness of bad solitude."

Personally, I was taken aback by the Pope's reference to cats and dogs!  I can see why Animal Rights advocates are shaking their heads in disagreement.  In their minds, cats and dogs (pets in general) should be given the same rights as humans.  They should be respected, cared for, and never consumed as food.  Some Animal Rights advocates go so far as to value an animal over a human child.  Clearly the Pope recognizes a trend, particularly in marriages where couples decide to raise pups and kittens instead of babies.

I think the point Pope Francis was trying to make is that married couples should not enter into marriage in selfish, self serving ways.  Married couples should be open to life and not only creature comforts.  There needs to be a willingness to bond with one another, love one another, and relate to one another, mutually fulfilling each others needs.  The Sacrament of Marriage includes the willingness to be open to conceiving and raising children: Real human children and not only pets.

Why get married if a couple isn't open to having children?  Is marriage only something to get into for convenience and financial security?

On the flip side, I can see many reasons why a couple may decide to not have children.  Perhaps they are financially unable to care for a child or multiple children.  Children are expensive.  Weigh the amount of money to raise a child to the age of 18 (plus college tuition) against raising a cat and dog to the age of 10-15 years.  Understandably pets are less expensive.

Secondly, a couple may decide not to have children due to genetic abnormalities or mental health issues that could be passed down in their offspring.  Sometimes a woman may be able to conceive but she is unable to carry a child to term without significant health concerns.

Finally, a couple may decide to forgo children because they marry later in life.  This is a very common trend in today's society.  A couple may decide to marry in their mid to late 40's when having a child is no longer possible.

Overall, I see the idea of a "culture of comfort" affecting all states in life, not just marriage.  In fact, singles often are so set in their own ways and their own comforts that they decide to NEVER get married because then they have to share themselves, often dealing with another person's vices. Married life is tough.

The Pope's words are very interesting.  I can see both sides of the debate.  In terms of the Catholic Church's teachings, its important for marriage to be taken seriously and not seen as something of a convenience.  A married couple's creature comforts should never trump sacrifice and pure love-- Love that includes an openness to children if there is not viable reason not to.

-J.