Excerpts from Pope Francis’s ‘State of the world’ address at his meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See on January 9:

No to abortion

“Peace requires, before all else, the defence of life, a good that today is jeopardised not only by conflicts, hunger and disease, but all too often even in the mother’s womb, through the promotion of an alleged ‘right to abortion’. No one, however, can claim rights over the life of another human being, especially one who is powerless and thus completely defenceless.

“For this reason, I appeal to the consciences of men and women of good will, particularly those having political responsibilities, to strive to safeguard the rights of those who are weakest and to combat the throwaway culture that also, tragically, affects the sick, the disabled and the elderly. States have a primary responsibility to ensure that citizens are assisted in every phase of life, until natural death.”

Fear of life

“Tragically, we increasingly witness the emergence of a ‘fear’ of life, which translates in many places into a fear of the future and a difficulty in creating families and bringing children into the world. In some contexts, I think, for example, of Italy; there is a dangerous fall in the birthrate, a veritable demographic winter, which endangers the very future of society. I wish once more to encourage the beloved Italian people to confront with tenacity and hope the challenges of the present time by drawing strength from their religious and cultural roots.”

Threat of war

“This year marks the 60th anniversary of the encyclical Pacem in Terris of St John XXIII. Very much present in the mind of the ‘good pope’ was the threat of nuclear war, raised in October 1962 by the so-called Cuban missile crisis. Sadly, today too, the nuclear threat is raised, and the world once more feels fear and anguish. Here I reaffirm that possession of atomic weapons is immoral.”

 

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)