Pope Francis talks of Herod and of protecting Life

The election of Pope Francis has been warmly welcomed by pro-life leaders across the world, who point to his strong defence of the right to life of every human being throughout his time as Archbishop and Cardinal of the Church.

Indeed, the Holy Father addressed the issue in his very first homily at the Inauguration of his Papal Ministry where he preached that we needed to protect and care for all creation.

The Pope also said that "tragically, in every period of history there are “ 'Herods' who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women".

He called on the faithful to recognise that "In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!"

In his 2011 book Sobre el cielo y la tierra (On heaven and earth) Pope Francis said of abortion that "The moral problem of abortion is of a pre-religious nature because the genetic code is written in a person at the moment of conception. A human being is there. I separate the topic of abortion from any specifically religious notions. It is a scientific problem. Not to allow the further development of a being which already has all the genetic code of a human being is not ethical."

"The right to life is the first among human rights," he continued. "To abort a child is to kill someone who cannot defend himself."

Lifesitenews reports that as a Cardinal, in addition to condemning abortion in the strongest terms, he also urged the public to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to end this devastating atrocity.
In 2005, as activists urged Argentina to legalize abortion, the future pontiff urged Catholics to defend the right to life even if they “deliver you to the courts” or “have you killed.”

At a Mass in Buenos Aires on Aug. 31st, 2005 in honor of St. Raymond Nonnatus (Raymond "the unborn"), who is revered as the holy protector of pregnant women, the then-Cardinal said that promoting life is “a road that is full of wolves.”

The future pontiff also urged the faithful to “be astute” in promoting the Gospel of life. “Go forth! Don't be fools,” he said. “Remember, a Christian doesn't have the luxury of being foolish. … He can't give himself the luxury. He has to be clever, he has to be astute, to carry this out.”

The Cardinal also said: “When one listens to what Jesus says: Look, ‘I send you, I send you like sheep amongst the wolves,’ one has the desire to ask: ‘Lord, are you joking, or do you not have a better place to send us?’

Because what Jesus says is a little chilling: ‘if you proclaim my message, they are going to persecute you, they are going to slander you, they are going to set traps to deliver you to the courts and to have you killed. But you must continue forward. For that reason, take care, Jesus says, and be astute, be clever like the serpent but very simple like doves,’ joining the two thing