The Vatican (LifeNews.com) -- Pope Benedict XVI told the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences that the right to life of human beings both before and after birth is non-negotiable. His words came in a Monday meeting and he said the pro-life perspective should be a part of "the areas of law, economy, politics and the various other social sciences."

The Pope said that "the right to life [is] at the center of those rights that spring from human nature itself."

He called on members of the Academy "to be credible and consistent witnesses to the defense and promotion of these non-negotiable human rights."

The pontiff said "central question of the dignity of the human person and human rights," a celebrated teaching, is "a point of encounter between the doctrine of the Church and contemporary society."

"If all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, then they share a common nature that binds them together and calls for universal respect," he added.

The Pope noted that his predecessors, Paul VI and John Paul II, "forcefully referred to the right to life and the right to freedom of conscience and religion as being at the center of those rights that spring from human nature itself. "

He called on pro-life advocates to "be credible and consistent witnesses to the defense and promotion of these non-negotiable human rights which are founded in divine law."

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