"No birth rate, no future"The statement recalls something almost self-evident, but it is worth considering it in order to perceive once again its truth and its potential for guiding personal and social decisions; and a reality on which Pope Francis wished to focus his address to inaugurate a meeting for reflection and debate on the birth rate in Italy.
Francis explained the seriousness of the problem with an image: the decrease in births in Italy is equivalent to the disappearance each year of a city of 200,000 inhabitants. Spain and the countries of the economically developed world are also facing a serious problem with consequences for the whole of society. This is why they are faced with the "urgent" responsibility (as the Pope described it) to respond to the so-called "demographic challenge" and to seek solutions to the falling birth rate, as a necessary condition for "put back on track". society.
The Pope offered three reflections: first, that it is necessary to recover the notion of "gift"which opens "to novelty, to surprises: every human life is a true novelty, which knows no before and after in history."second, that a "generational sustainability". sustainable growth is possible; finally, that it is necessary to "structural solidarity". to give stability to the structures that support families and help births: "a policy, an economy, information and culture that courageously promote the birth rate"..
A few days ago, a few days ago, a young Spanish writer presented this problem in a very personal and concrete way. Twenty-nine years old and pregnant, she pointed out that it is not that young people do not want to have children, but that having them represents for them a leap into the void, in the absence of a policy that promotes access to work and housing, and of a clear commitment to families.
In this regard, in a conversation with Omnes, Javier Rodríguez, director general of the Family Forum, called for a comprehensive family law, a family perspective in all laws and two State pacts: one for motherhood and the birth rate, and another for education. We need far-reaching and forward-looking family policies, not based on the search for immediate consensus, but on the growth of the common good in the long term. Herein lies the difference between managing public affairs and being good politicians, Francisco adds. In line with the young writer, there is an urgent need to offer young people guarantees of sufficiently stable employment, security for their homes and incentives not to leave the country.
In his address to Italian family associations, the Pope went further, exclaiming how wonderful it would be to see an increase in the number of entrepreneurs and businesses that, in addition to producing profits, promote life, and that go so far as to distribute part of the profits to workers, in order to contribute to the priceless development of families! This is a challenge not only for Italy, but for many countries, often rich in resources, but poor in hope.
