VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI greeted members of Italy’s pro-life movement and encouraged them to continue their concrete efforts on behalf of women and couples who are dealing with difficult situations of pregnancy.
The Pope made the comments at his noon blessing May 22 to several thousand participants in a brief pro-life march that led to the Vatican. The event marked the 33rd anniversary of legal abortion in Italy.
“Dear friends, I congratulate you in particular for your commitment to helping women who face difficult pregnancies, as well as engaged couples and spouses who desire responsible procreation. In this way, you are working concretely for the culture of life,” he said.
“I pray to the Lord that, thanks to your contribution, the ‘yes to life’ may be a cause of unity in Italy and in every country of the world,” he said.
The day before, the Pope underlined the Christian duty to respect life in a talk to students and faculty of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan.
He said, “To serve the human being is to operate with truth in charity, to love life and respect it always, beginning with situations in which life is the most fragile and defenseless.”