Pope Francis to Italians: Have More Children

Pope Francis traveled to southern Italy today, Sunday, to participate in the conclusion of a mass for the Italian church coinciding with the national elections. He delivered a message addressing key local issues, including immigration. Neither the Pope nor his hosts mentioned the elections during the outdoor mass, even though the bishops' conference had earlier urged Italians to vote in the eagerly followed elections, which could bring Italy its first far-right government since World War II. At the end of the mass in Matera, Pope Francis urged Italians to have more children, saying, "I would like to urge Italy: for more births, for more children." Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and Francis has often expressed sorrow over the "demographic winter." Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who launched her campaign under the slogan "God, Family, Country," has called for Italy to reverse its demographic trends by proposing greater financial incentives for couples to have children.