Pope: Europe must back families amid demographic crisis

The Pope sounded a warning that Europe risks becoming “the ‘old continent’” not only because of its history, but because of its ageing population.

Addressing members of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Demography gathered at the Vatican on May 25, together with civil and political representatives, the Holy Father described declining birth rates and population ageing as “an urgent challenge with practical implications for millions of people and their families”.

The Pope stressed that demographic questions cannot be reduced to numbers alone.

“Demographic data are not merely statistics, but speak of fatherhood, motherhood and children,” he said, adding that “children are the future”.

Quoting Pope Francis, Pope Leo recalled concerns that Europe is becoming an “old continent” because of its “advancing age”, and pointed to the social consequences of demographic decline, including what he called the “pandemic of loneliness”.

He reiterated that authentic and sustainable development depends upon solidarity between generations, warning that such a balance is increasingly absent across Europe.

Pope Leo XIV also reflected on what he described as a weakening of Europe’s Christian roots over recent decades.

He said that the rejection of the Christian inspiration that guided the founders of the European institutions has contributed to a “time of drastic sterility”, not only because many have been “deprived of the right to be born”, but also because younger generations have often failed to receive the material and cultural foundations needed to face the future.

The Pope criticised what he called contradictory approaches in some contemporary policies that claim to support families and at the same time “promote discrimination against motherhood, uphold abortion as a right and undermine the very foundation of the desire to start a family”.

At the same time, he expressed gratitude for initiatives and institutions working to support families and demographic renewal.

The Holy Father insisted that the demographic challenge must be addressed through coordinated cooperation among political institutions, academics and civil society.

He added that policies should strengthen the active participation of families in social, political and cultural life while respecting the principle of subsidiarity, thereby avoiding both excessive state intervention and radical individualism.

“A genuinely human path can be opened for resolving the demographic crisis,” he said, one that is “oriented toward the common good, and the wellbeing of future generations.”

“Indeed,” the Holy Father concluded, “only a fresh springtide for the family can transform the winter chill of our ageing populations.”

FULL STORY

Pope urges Europe to support families amid demographic crisis (Vatican News)