COMMENTARY: Vatican Call for Christians to Have More Children Is Unrealistic

For a senior Vatican official to suggest that European Christians should have more children to prevent the continent from becoming "Islamized" can best be described as an unnecessary case of "Islamophobia," or the fear of Islam.

Yet, Fr. Piero Gheddo said this week that the low birth rate of Europeans -- coupled with an increase of Muslim immigrants with large families -- would result in Islam replacing Christianity as the predominant religion of Europe.

This is a ridiculous thought, because 98 percent of Europe's population is comprised of Christians. Consequently, Islam's replacement of Christianity as Europe's predominant religion could not occur for several centuries -- and even then, it is unlikely that such a phenomenon would occur.

Fr. Gheddo also said that European Christians should "return to the practice of Christian life," which would "solve the problem of empty cradles." In other words, Fr. Gheddo is conveying -- without actually saying -- that Europeans should end the multitude of abortions that are currently occurring on the continent, because abortions are contrary to Catholic doctrine.

Perhaps Fr. Gheddo does not come right out and criticize abortions by Catholics, because he knows that his criticism will have little if any impact on Catholic lifestyles, based upon past experience.

Many Catholics -- perhaps even most of them -- have disregarded Catholic doctrine today, when it is in conflict with their own selfish ways of living. This includes not only a disregard of Catholic teachings on abortion, but also a disregard of several other Catholic values, including cohabitation, gay civil ceremonies and marriages, prostitution, immoral everyday living, etc.

Indeed, Fr. Gheddo's call for Christian values to solve the problem of "empty cradles" in Europe is a positive Christian idea that should not be taken lightly. Whether we want to admit it or not, the fact is that abortion is the murder of an unborn infant.

Unfortunately, secularism has overtaken the majority of Christians today -- not only in Europe but throughout the world -- and it does not appear that this selfish anti-Christian secularism will be transcended in the near future by Christian doctrine, values, and ideals.