Pope Francis: ‘Politicians should place defense of unborn life first’

Pope Francis appealed to politicians to defend the lives of unborn babies in remarks to Italy’s Pro-Life Movement at the weekend.

In remarks ahead of Italy’s ‘Day for Life’, he said, “I take this opportunity to appeal to all politicians, regardless of their faith convictions, to treat the defense of the lives of those who are about to be born and enter into society as the cornerstone of the common good”.

“Voluntarily extinguishing life in its blossoming is, in every case, a betrayal of our vocation, as well as of the pact that binds generations together,” he said.

Regarding the unborn of unborn children, he said: “Their killing in huge numbers, with the endorsement of States, is a serious problem that undermines the foundations of the construction of justice, compromising the proper solution of any other human and social issue,” he said.

Pope Francis said protecting life is not a one-off action but means protecting every aspect of a person’s life. “Taking care of life”, he said, “requires that attention be paid to living conditions: health, education, and job opportunities. In short, it includes everything that allows a person to live in dignity.”

He added: “When life itself is violated at its emergence, what remains is no longer the grateful and enchanted welcome of a gift, but a cold calculation of what we have and what we can use. Then even life is reduced to a one-time-use consumer good”.