Pope blames loveless world for low birthrates

VATICAN CITY, Apr 28 (Reuters) Pope Benedict said today that the growing number of loveless relationships may be behind declining birthrates in the developed world.

The Pope also said an ''eclipse of love'' and lack of moral guidance threatened the intellectual and spiritual development of future generations of children.

''Perhaps the lack of such creative and forward-looking love is the reason why many couples today choose not to marry, why so many marriages fail, and why birthrates have diminished,'' the Pope said in a message to a meeting of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

''It is children and young people who are often the first to experience the consequences of this eclipse of love and hope.

Often, instead of feeling loved and cherished, they appear to be merely tolerated.'' The wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cherie Blair, who is Catholic, attended the event as an ''outside expert'' and was later received by the Pope in a private audience.

The academy was meeting to discuss the topic: ''Vanishing Youth? Solidarity with Children and Young People in an Age of Turbulence''.

''In a world shaped by the accelerating process of globalisation, they are often exposed solely to materialistic visions of the universe, of life and human fulfilment,'' the Pope said.

REUTERS CH HS1737