• Home »
  • Faith »
  • Vatican »
  • Pope: Opposition to abortion isn't 'conservative,' it's result of faith
hand and heart

The recent post office troubles have impacted our regular fundraising efforts. Please consider supporting the Register and Catholic journalism by using one of the methods below:

  • Donate online
  • Donate by e-transfer to accounting@catholicregister.org
  • Donate by telephone: 416-934-3410 ext. 406 or toll-free 1-855-441-4077 ext. 406
A copy of the apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") by Pope Francis is seen during a news conference at the Vatican Nov. 26. In his first extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Chu rch dedicated to evangelization, with a focus on society's poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.
A copy of the apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel") by Pope Francis is seen during a news conference at the Vatican Nov. 26. In his first extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Chu rch dedicated to evangelization, with a focus on society's poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn. CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters

Pope: Opposition to abortion isn't 'conservative,' it's result of faith

By  Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
  • November 26, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Defending human dignity and protecting society's most vulnerable necessarily means protecting the unborn and defending their right to life, Pope Francis said in his apostolic exhortation.

Writing in "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel"), Pope Francis said the church's opposition to abortion is not a "conservative" political position, but is a key part of its claim that God created and loves each person and that believers have an absolute obligation to defend those whose basic right to life is under attack.

"Precisely because this involves the internal consistency of our message about the value of the human person, the church cannot be expected to change her position on this question," Pope Francis wrote in the document, which was released Nov. 26 at the Vatican.

"I want to be completely honest in this regard," he said. Acknowledging confusion in the general public between the reforms of church structures he has called for and expectations that he could change some church teaching, he said the church's opposition to abortion "is not something subject to alleged reforms or 'modernizations.'"

"A human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development," he wrote. "Once this conviction disappears, so do solid and lasting foundations for the defense of human rights, which would always be subject to the passing whims of the powers that be."

The "defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right," he said.

While some people ridicule the church's opposition to abortion or present it "as ideological, obscurantist and conservative," he said, "it is not 'progressive' to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life."

Pope Francis said unfortunately it is true that, as a whole, the church has "done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution to their profound anguish, especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty."

Still, he said, the church is called to show particular care for the vulnerable and today the unborn are "the most defenseless and innocent among us."

"Reason alone is sufficient to recognize the inviolable value of each single human life," the pope wrote, "but if we also look at the issue from the standpoint of faith, 'every violation of the personal dignity of the human being cries out in vengeance to God and is an offense against the creator of the individual.'"

More in this category: « Pope says only men can be priests, but women must have voice in church Vatican officials say pope's document provides map for church's future »

Please support The Catholic Register

Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. We want to keep our award-winning journalism as widely available as possible. But we need your help.

For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. By making even a small donation you help ensure our future as an important voice in the Catholic Church. If you support the mission of Catholic journalism, please donate today. Thank you.

DONATE