By Currents News Staff
Pope Francis spoke from St. Peter’s Square today making a bold statement on abortion. He said life must be “defended and served” from conception to natural death.
During the General Audience, the pope harshly criticized abortion. He was speaking to Polish pilgrims who had just held the “March for Life” in their country on Sunday.
“Many of you and thousands of your countrymen last Sunday participated in ‘March for Life’ parades, bringing the message that life is sacred, because it is a gift of God,” said Francis.
Pope Francis always shows this tenderness for the gift of life at the General Audience. He greets everyone from the smallest in the crowds to those with disabilities.
“We are called to defend and serve life from conception in the womb until advanced age, when marked by disease and suffering. It is not lawful to destroy life, to make it the object of experimentation or false conceptions. I ask you to pray so that human life is always respected, thus witnessing to Gospel values especially within the family,” he added.
He recently has spoken boldly about respecting life, including with Mexican Televisa journalist, Valentina Alazraki in a private interview.
Additionally, last month he met with participants from 70 countries attending the anti-abortion “Yes to Life” conference held at the Vatican.
The March for Life originated in the United States in 1973. This is not the first time Pope Francis applauds March for Life participants. Maybe next January, he could send a direct message to organizers in Washington, D.C.