Pope: "Without Children There is No Future"

Holy Father Urges Support for Large Families

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday praised large families and called for countries to approve legislation and other incentives to help them. "Without children there is no future," Benedict said.

The pope addressed his remarks to Italian pilgrims present at his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, including more than 2,000 members of the Italian Numerous Families Association.

"It is my hope that further adequate social and legislative interventions be promoted to protect and support the more numerous families, which constitute a richness and a hope for the entire nation," the pope said.

Recent European Union statistics put the average number of children per woman at 1.5. But in some countries, including Catholic Italy and Spain, the average is down to 1.3.

In greeting the Italian family association, Benedict said that large families were an asset to modern society. "Family nuclei with many children constitute a witness of faith, courage and optimism, because without children there is no future," he said.
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