Pope Benedict XVI on life

Two years ago I attended the International Pro-Life Conference in Dublin, Ireland (appropriate to mention the day after St. Patrick's Day, I suppose). Since then I have been included on an Irish pro-life group's e-mail list. Today they sent this story about Pope Benedict XVI's recent message regarding the defense of life:

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Source:Irish Family PressDate:18/03/08

Pope Benedict: Everyone's duty to defend life

Pope Benedict has told that it is ‘everyone’s duty’ to protect human life. His message was warmly welcomed by pro-life groups who said that the Pope’s words underlined the need to work daily for the Culture of Life. The Holy Father addressed thousands of pilgrims on the ‘Day of Life’ being celebrated in Italy, on the theme ’Serving Life’. The leader of the world’s one billion Catholics said that it is up to “each according to his or her possibilities, profession and responsibilities, to feel in themselves an obligation to love and serve life, from its beginning to its natural end.”Javier Silvestre of Youth Defence International said that ‘The Pope’s words gave encouragement and hope to all those working for Life around the world.’‘It is, in fact,’ he continued, ‘everyone’s duty to welcome human life as a gift to be respected, protected and promoted, even more so when it is fragile and in need of attention and care, either before birth or when it is in its final stages’.

The Holy Father thanked all those in attendance who defend and promote the right to life. He also reiterated a statement of the Italian Bishops Conference from their message for the Day of Life: ‘A civilisation is measured by its ability to be at the service of life.’

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