“I ask, is it licit, is it right to eliminate a human life to resolve a problem? It's a human life. That's science. The moral question is whether it is right to take a human life to solve a problem. Indeed, is it right to hire a hitman to solve a problem? Hiring a hitman.”
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Those strong words from the Holy Father on the practice of abortion. Pope Francis defended the right to life throughout his papacy.
During the Day for Life in Italy, held on the first Sunday in February, the Holy Father focused on the atrocities of war.
“And with regard to the primary value of human life, I reiterate a ‘no’ to war, which destroys—it destroys everything. It destroys life and induces us to disregard it.”
At a summit at the Vatican on children's rights in February, Francis highlighted the impact of war and abortion on society.
“Listening to those children who today live in violence, exploitation, or injustice serves to strengthen our ‘no’ to war, to the throwaway culture of waste and profit in which everything is bought and sold without respect or care for life, especially when that life is small and defenseless.”
Pope Francis continually spoke out for those who couldn't speak for themselves—from conception until natural death. It reads in the catechism, "Human life is sacred. No one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."
Francis never backed down from standing up for life, likening abortion to the work of the mafia.
“Abortion is not the lesser evil. It is a crime. You throw someone out to save another. That is what the mafia does. It is a crime—an absolute evil.”
In September 2024, the Holy Father spoke to reporters during his return trip from his apostolic journey to Southeast Asia, reiterating the Church's stance on abortion.
“It is murder. It is murder. And this we have to be clear about.”
Continuing his advocacy for human life in the womb, in January Pope Francis called for a worldwide ban on surrogacy, saying the practice exploits the child as an object of trafficking.
“I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and of the child.”
Pope Francis spoke out about other pro-life issues outside of the womb, addressing so-called gender theory in January. Francis called it extremely dangerous.
“It cancels differences in its claim to make everyone equal. These instances of ideological colonization prove injurious and create divisions between states rather than fostering peace.”
The Holy Father also wrote about capital punishment this year in the preface of a book called A Christian on Death Row: My Commitment to Those Condemned, warning that it fosters a cycle of revenge in society and called for efforts to end the death penalty. The Holy Father wrote that governments should, "focus on allowing prisoners the opportunity to truly change their lives rather than investing money and resources in their execution. We must never think that there could be a sin, a mistake, or an action of ours that distances us permanently from the Lord. His heart has already been crucified for us."
Pope Francis also promoted openness to children and parenthood, which are often overlooked in our secular society. In the official papal document announcing the Jubilee Year of 2025, Francis said, "Openness to life and responsible parenthood is the design that the creator has implanted in the hearts and bodies of men and women. The desire of young people to give birth to new sons and daughters as a sign of the fruitfulness of their love ensures a future for every society."
Adapted by Jacob Stein
