On Saturday, Pope Benedict addressed the members of the 13th Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life. This morning, he addressed them again, together with participants who gathered for the International "Conference on Christian conscience in support of the right to life" which took place last Friday and Saturday.The address on Saturday morning referred to pressure for the legalisation of abortion in South American countries, biotechnical research and the "new wave of eugenic discrimination as well as pressure for "the legalisation of forms of cohabitation alternative to marriage and closed to natural procreation." Here is a link to the Vatican Information Service report and, for readers of Italian, the full text.
This morning's address focussed on the right to life of the embryo, reflecting on various scriptural and patristic indications. I was delighted to see that he mentioned the Visitation and the recognition of Christ by St John the Baptist. This is a theme I have sometimes preached on to illustrate the sanctity of the human embryo. No VIS report on this speech as yet but here is a link to the full text in Italian.
I expect that the texts may appear in English translation on Zenit over the next few days.
1 comment:
What a sad society we live in, the only one standing up for the unborn child is the Catholic Church. But it was Pope Pius XII in 1947 at Maria Goretti's beatification who said 'It is evident that no age has failed as ours has in its duty toward women'. All society continues to do to promote the dignity and honour of women is encourage more degenerative behaviour and abortion.
But as Pope Pius XII said 'Woe also that multitude who are Christians in name only, who could take a stand and do not. If they did, they would see legions of upright and virtuous followers unite behind them ready to battle scandal by every means'
Where sin abounds, grace abounds the more. We as Catholics will have a lot to answer for if we sit back and do nothing.
God Bless our Pope.
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