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Pope Francis made clear his main reason for his historic visit: to support the cause of human life.
Speaking to the nation’s Catholic bishops in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, the pontiff said: “I appreciate the unfailing commitment of the Church in America to the cause of life and that of the family, which is the primary reason for my present visit.”
The Pope listed: “the innocent victim of abortion, children who die of hunger or from bombings, immigrants who drown in the search for a better tomorrow, the elderly or the sick who are considered a burden, the victims of terrorism, wars, violence and drug trafficking, the environment devastated by man’s predatory relationship with nature – at stake in all of this is the gift of God, of which we are noble stewards but not masters.”
“It is wrong, then, to look the other way or to remain silent,” he said.
“Ever present within each of them is life as gift and responsibility. The future freedom and dignity of our societies depends on how we face these challenges,” he exhorted.
Pope Francis made an unscheduled visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington on Wednesday afternoon, which the Vatican said is a sign of his solidarity in their lawsuit against the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act contraception mandate. The rule requires employers to not only provide birth control through their medical plans, but also abortion inducing drugs.
“This is a sign, obviously, of support for them,” said the Vatican Press Secretary, Rev. Federico Lombardi.
Little Sisters of the Poor communications director Sister Constance Veit told NBC News, “It just gave us a lot of moral support and confirmed we are on the right track with the lawsuit as far as the church is concerned while we wait to see if the Supreme Court will take the case.” She added: “It gave us a lot of energy and everyone was very fortified. It was a spiritual shot in the arm.”
The Pontiff took up the issue of abortion again, when he addressed a joint session of Congress Thursday morning stating:
Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).
This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated…In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.
h/t: LifeNews