Pope Benedict Says Catholics Should 'Uncompromisingly' Fight Against 'Attacks On The Right To Life'

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 01 Mar 2007 - 23:00 PDT

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Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday in a speech before a conference of scientists and theologians at Vatican City called on Roman Catholics to fight "uncompromisingly" against "the many attacks on the right to life," including abortion, euthanasia and eugenics, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/24). The pope said that developing countries increasingly face pressure to legalize abortion and to "liberalize new forms of chemical abortion using the pretext of reproductive health" (Associated Press, 2/24). He said that in developed countries, "there is a growing interest for the most sophisticated biotechnological research to introduce subtle and extensive eugenics methods in the obsessive search for the 'perfect child'" (Reuters, 2/24). The pope said some Catholics in secular societies become influenced by "questionable forms of tolerance" and are not heedful enough of the "seriousness of the problems at stake." He said Catholics should show "courageous conscientious objection" to all practices that put "the value of human life" at risk, adding that Christians should obey their consciences "without contradictions, betrayal or compromise." In addition, the pope called on doctors, lawyers, politicians and scientists to consider alternatives "each time the value of human life is at stake" (AFP/Yahoo! News, 2/24). According to the Associated Press, the two-day conference, organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, discussed how Catholics should follow their conscience (Associated Press, 2/24).

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