Plenty of fish in the Holy See, but they all suck

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI said Friday that a lack of true love was behind an increase in failed marriages and a decrease in birth rates in much of the developed world.

Well, now that's helpful, a lack of true love–maybe the pope should go into matchmaking. The Vatican could organize snappy little singles gatherings, like "It's Just Eucharist" or confessional speed-dating–they could even rent out the pope-mobile for romantic yet perfectly chaste–God can easily see–dinner cruises around Rome.

Benedict told members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences that children nowadays also aren't as valued as they once were, in part because of the economic, social and cultural changes in the globalized world.

"Often, instead of feeling loved and cherished (children) appear to be merely tolerated," he said.

And so it should be. Because children are gross. But I suppose if you merely tolerate your own, that's different from merely tolerating other people's hellions. But it's still teaching them independence and building character and some healthy Christian humility.

The pontiff said the increase in life expectancy and decline in birth rates were "linked to a disturbing deficit of faith, hope and indeed love."

Yes, people are living longer and enjoying their lives more–they really should knock that off and get back to being religious.