Pope Francis left the word “abortion” out of his address to Congress Tuesday, inserting only a brief reminder to defend human life “at every stage” in between explicit mentions of immigration and the death penalty.
Francis devoted about 500 words to talk explicitly about immigration and how the U.S. should respond to the European migrant crisis, and another 100 words to talk about the need to abolish the death penalty. But he only used one line to talk about abortion.
“The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development,” he said, in between his words on the refugee crisis and the death penalty.
“The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us,” he said, referring to the refugee crisis. “The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.”
Those are undoubtedly abortion keywords, but he also tied it directly into his defense of the death penalty, using another phrase associated with abortion — “every life is sacred.”
That could have been a launching point to talk more explicitly about abortion, but he chose instead to talk about why the sanctity of life argument applies to the death penalty.
“This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty,” he said. “I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes.”
The pope also spoke about climate change at the White House Wednesday, saying he is “encouraged” by President Obama’s proposals to reduce pollution.
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