Pope Benedict XVI Closes U.S. Visit With Strong Pro-Life Message on Abortion
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 20, 2008
New York, NY (LifeNews.com) — Pope Benedict XVI closed out his visit to the United States over the weekend with a strong pro-life message on the topic of abortion. The homily came after sharing his pro-life views with President Bush and a White House crowd and then urging Catholic Colleges not to give a platform to abortion advocates.
During the sermon at Yankee Stadium in New York, the pope proclaimed the "inalienable dignity and rights" of "the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb."
He called on pro-life advocates to stand up for "those without a voice" and to "enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of" the pro-life message.
The pontiff also praised the work of the Catholic Church and bishops in the United States, saying, "the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life."
Pope Benedict also called on Catholics to reject the notion that pro-life views shouldn’t be a part of politics.
He said being a pro-life Catholic "means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life."
The pope also said that, for Christians, there is a truth in understanding the value of human life and that they have an obligation to share that truth with the nation and the world.
"They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world – including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb," he said.
He said he hopes pro-life people will "never [lose] sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives."
