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Opposing abortion isn’t a religious issue but a human one, Pope Francis said at a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference on Saturday.
“Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?” he challenged conference delegates.
“Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?”
Abortion can never be condoned, he said.
Instead of suggesting abortion, he urged doctors and priests to support families to carry pregnancies to term, even when the foetus is gravely sick or likely to die.
Francis also spoke out against decisions to abort based on prenatal testing, saying a human being is “never incompatible with life”.
Infants who are destined to die at or shortly after birth deserve to receive medical care in the womb, Francis said.
In addition, he said their parents need to be supported so they don’t feel isolated and afraid.
While one can argue about using medical resources this way, there is value to it for the parents.
“Taking care of these children helps parents to grieve and not only think of it as a loss, but as a step on a path taken together,” Francis said.
While Francis has often spoken out strongly against abortion, he has also expressed sympathy for women who have had them and made it easier for them to be absolved of the sin of abortion.
His comments come as the abortion debate is again making headlines in the United States, where state initiatives are currently seeking to restrict the procedure.
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