Pope calls businesses to support pregnant employees

Pope Francis is worried about the low birth rate in Italy, Catholic News Agency writes. Part of the problem is that working women are afraid that they cannot combine their job with taking care of their children, he thinks.

In addition, some employers fire pregnant workers. According to the Pope, it is a reality that as soon as employers see their employee is pregnant, they boot her out. “Study the problem. See how you can make sure that a pregnant woman can continue, both with the child she is expecting and with her job”, the Pope told the General Confederation of Italian Industry.

Increasing the birth rate in Italy seems to be high on the priority list of the Pope. Earlier, he called the decline in the number of newborns a tragedy, as CNE.news reported earlier.”

According to the head of the Vatican, Italy needs more babies to “get out of the demographic winter”, which “prevents us from the possibility of growth.” He even called having children a “matter of patriotism to help the country forward.”