Ave Maria Meditations
Meeting with Catholic doctors Pope Francis called on them to defend the sanctity of life:
“Fidelity to the Gospel of life and respect for life as a gift from God sometimes require choices that are courageous and go against the current, which in particular circumstances, may become points of conscientious objection,” Francis said in an address to the Italian Catholic Doctors’ Association in November. “The dominant thinking sometimes suggests a “false compassion”, that which retains that it is: helpful to women to promote abortion; an act of dignity to obtain euthanasia; a scientific breakthrough to produce a child and to consider it to be a right rather than a gift to welcome; or to use human lives as guinea pigs presumably to save others,” the Pope said in his speech.
Instead, the Pope pointed out, “The compassion of the Gospel is that which accompanies in times of need, that is, the compassion of the Good Samaritan, who sees, has compassion, approaches and provides concrete help.”
“Human life is always sacred and always of quality. There is no human life that is more sacred than another, as there is no human life qualitatively more significant than another, only by virtue of resources, rights, great social and economic opportunities.” Francis underlined that human life “is always sacred, valuable, and inviolable.”
“Be careful, experimenting and playing with life is a sin against God the Creator,” the pope said speaking off the cuff. “This happens when people consider it to be [their] right to produce children rather than [see it] a gift. The same goes for euthanasia.”
“Attention to human life, especially that in greatest difficulty, that is, to the sick, the elderly, children, deeply involves the mission of the Church. The Church also feels called to participate in the debate that relates to human life, presenting its proposal based on the Gospel,” Francis recalled.
“This is also my hope. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Salus Infirmorum, support the intentions with which you intend to continue your action,” Francis said.
