Pope Francis' Recent Comments On Pet Parents Have Twitter Divided

If you are the owner of a pet, you likely view them as a family member. More and more people, especially millennials, are choosing to adopt a pet rather than having children of their own (via Swirled). Over 70 percent of Americans in their 30s own dogs, while 50 percent own cats. It is no secret that pet parenthood is popular, but why are millennials choosing pets over kids?

The answer is deeper than simply favoring a furry companion over a human one in most cases. The issue is the current economic environment makes having children difficult for most millennials. Whether it's paying off student loans or the inability to find affordable housing, money is tight. It's more affordable to have a furry friend than a human child.

In some cases, pets are used as "starter children" (via People). A survey found that over 40 percent of pet parents viewed their cat or dog as a test to see just how prepared they were to have children of their own.

Of course, there are people out there who simply prefer the company of a pet over the responsibility of a child. It's a personal preference. Recently, Pope Francis weighed in on the debate over pet parenthood and it has Twitter divided.

Pope Francis recently decided to weigh in on the topic of pet parenthood and he did not hold back (via the New York Post). The head of the Catholic Church reportedly called those who choose pets over babies, selfish.

In a report made by Fox News, Pope Francis said, "Today we see a form of selfishness. 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."

The controversial comments didn't stop there. If you can't have children, the Pope believes child adoption should be your priority over pet adoption. However, child adoption can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while many pet shelters offer adoptions for inexpensive rates.

Of course, Twitter had opinions on this comment. A parent themselves had a hard time with this commentary as well, writing, "Wow. I have four children but this, from someone who KNOWS that many young people are choosing not to have kids because of financial hardships and looming climate breakdown, this makes me want to dress my hamsters in tiny pope costumes out of spite."

However, some users were on his side. One wrote, "The Pope isn't saying 'you must have children!' He's saying that pets are not children and it's a damaging mindset to treat them as such. He's right. People who treat pets like children are devaluing the dignity of humanity."