Stop ironing your son’s shirts and push them to get married, Pope tells mothers

The Pope has urged overprotective mothers with adult sons, who simply won’t “leave the nest” to stop ironing their adult sons’ shirts and push them out into the world to get married.

Handing out some practical parenting advice during a sermon at the closing church service concluding the 10th World Meeting of Families in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, Pope Francis said it required courage to get married.

The pontiff said, “We see so many young men who don’t have the courage to get married and mothers often say to me, ‘Do something, speak to my son, who is not getting married and he is 37 years old’.”

“But Signora, don’t iron his shirts, make the first move by sending him out, let him leave the nest.”

He also urged adult men not to “take the easy road” and return to their mothers in “moments of difficulty.”

“And then, in the moments of difficulty, in crises – all families have them – please don’t take the easy road: ‘I’m going back to Mum’,” he added, addressing adult men.

“No, move ahead with this courageous gamble. There will be difficult moments, hard moments, but move ahead, always.”

The Pope persuaded Christians to avoid selfishness. He said, “Let us not allow the family to be poisoned by the toxins of selfishness, individualism, today’s culture of indifference and waste, and as a result lose its very DNA, which is the spirit of welcoming and service.”

This year, about 2,000 delegates from 120 countries attended the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome, originally scheduled for 2021.

The topics of the meeting were, among others, sexuality, marriage and migration. Criticisms of the marriage guidelines emerged before the meeting, which critics say are no longer up to date. Although, the church still preaches obstinance before marriage.