European Catholic bishops urged French President Emmanuel Macron this week to abandon his plan to create a so-called “right” to abortion in the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Slamming the killing of unborn babies in abortions as “unjust,” the Presidency of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union said Macron’s proposal would violate fundamental values about the worth of every human being, Vatican News reports.
This plan “not only goes against fundamental European beliefs and values, but would be an unjust law, devoid of an ethical foundation and destined to be a cause of perpetual conflict among the citizens of the EU,” the bishops responded.
In January, Macron told the European Parliament that France will lobby to add the “right” to abortion to the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights this year. He claimed that the so-called “right” to abort an unborn baby is a “strong value” that Europe should fight to uphold.
Follow LifeNews on the MeWe social media network for the latest pro-life news free from Facebook’s censorship!
“We must update this charter to be more explicit on protection of the environment, [and] the recognition of the right to abortion,” Macron told lawmakers. “Let us open up this debate freely with our fellow citizens … to breathe new life into the pillar of law that forges this Europe of strong values.”
However, the Catholic bishops said Macron’s proposal would do the opposite of “breathe new life” into the law. They emphasized that one of the most fundamental European values is that every human being is valuable at every stage of life, according to the report.
With that value comes a duty on society and the church to protect the most vulnerable, they continued.
“… caring for women who are in a difficult or a conflict situation because of their pregnancy is a central part of the diaconal ministry of the Church and must also be a duty exercised by our societies,” the bishops said.
They also told European Union leaders not to force their pro-abortion ideology on the continent and urged lawmakers to respect different viewpoints on the matter.
Earlier this year, the European Parliament elected a pro-life president, Roberta Metsola.
Metsola represents Malta, one of the few countries in Europe that protects unborn babies’ right to life by banning abortions. She repeatedly has voted against measures that portray the killing of unborn babies in abortions as a right, and she has spoken out against attempts by the EU to pressure countries like Malta to legalize abortion on demand.
Abortion was the leading cause of death world-wide in 2020, killing 42.6 million unborn babies.
