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(VATICAN CITY) – Pope Francis compared abortion to a mafia-type murder on Wednesday, saying it's the equivalent of hiring a maleficent man to "kill a human life in order to solve a problem".
Francis made these comments, among his strongest and yet opposed to abortion, during his weekly Wednesday hearing on the commandment urging the faithful not to kill.
Francis stated that some people justified abortion as respecting other rights. But, he asked, "How can an act that represses an innocent and defenseless life during its development be therapeutic, civil or simply human?"
He asked if it was just "killing a human life" to solve a problem: "Is it fair to hire a hitman to solve a problem? This is not fair. We can not eliminate a human being, even if he is small. "
This is the second time in a few months that Francis has expressed the longstanding opposition of the church to abortion in a violent and harsh way.
In June, Francis denounced the fact that some couples use prenatal tests to see if their unborn babies have malformations and then choose to have an abortion, which he said was the only way to get an abortion. equivalent of the Nazi era's eugenics program.
Francis has presented abortion and euthanasia as part of what he calls "disposable culture", where the sick, the poor, the elderly and the unborn are considered unworthy. of protection and dignity by a society that values individual prowess and success.
The official teaching of the church that opposes abortion is absolute and provides no exception. That said, Francis acknowledged that women are sometimes forced to abort because of special circumstances and he has extended the ability of ordinary priests – not just bishops – to absolve them from the sin of abortion. they repent.
Francis' comments came during a three-week meeting of bishops from around the world on young people, where sexuality, including sex before marriage, is a topic of discussion.
Catholic teaching on abortion has been the headline lately, including the confirmation process of the division of US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Catholic educated by a Jesuit whose vote could cancel the legalized abortion in the United States.
In addition, Argentine senators in August rejected a bill that would have legalized the procedure in Francis' country of origin.
