Hundreds of thousands of pro-life Americans will be mourning 42 years of legalized abortion today as they participate in the March for Life As they march, they will know they have the support of Pope Francis.
The head of the Catholic Church sent out a tweet this morning urging the pro-life marchers on and lending them his prayers and support.
Every Life is a Gift. #marchforlife
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 22, 2015
Last year, Pope Francis also tweeted his support for the March for Life.
“I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable,” he tweeted at that time.
The United States marks 42 years of legalized abortion in all fifty states at any time for any reason throughout pregnancy on January 22nd, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Since that time, there have been approximately 57,762,169 abortions that have destroyed the lives of unborn children.
Pope Francis has drawn praise and support from pro-life people around the world as he has consistently spoken out strongly against the abortion culture, saying abortion is part of the same “throwaway” culture that wastes both people and food. That was just the latest example of Pope Francis taking a consistent and frequent public position against abortion.
“We cannot be indifferent to those suffering from hunger, especially children, when we think of how much food is wasted every day in many parts of the world immersed in what I have often termed ‘the throwaway culture,’” Francis said.
That culture, he said, also affects the unborn child.
“For example, it is frightful even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day,” he said.
In remarks that were less diplomatic and more a reflection of his own priorities, Francis called for the elderly to be treated with respect that their wisdom warrants, and for children to be protected from exploitation, slavery and hunger.
Last September, a day after an interview the mainstream media used to claim Pope Francis is backing down on the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings, the Pope condemned abortion in strong terms, saying unborn babies are “unjustly condemned” when killed in abortions.
In the text of a message the Pope delivered to a group of Catholic last year, as distributed by the Vatican, Pope Francis soundly condemned abortion.
“Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world,” he said.
Pope Francis condemned the “throwaway culture” abortion promotes, saying, “Our response to this mentality is a ‘yes’ to life, decisive and without hesitation. ‘The first right of the human person is his life. He has other goods and some are precious, but this one is fundamental –- the condition for all the others’”.
