Pope Says Pro-Life Movement Is A Peace Movement

VATICAN, May 22, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an address to the Italian pro-life movement today, Pope John Paul II quoted Mother Teresa of Calcutta saying, "Abortion is a practice that endangers peace in the world". The Pope concurred saying "there can be no authentic peace without respect for life, especially for the innocent and defenseless, as are unborn children. Basic coherence requires that those who seek peace defend life. No action for peace can be effective if attacks on life at every stage are not opposed with the same effort."

He commended the work to protect all unborn life including IVF embryonic children "conceived with artificial methods which are not morally acceptable." He encouraged women especially to "defend the alliance between women and life and to become promoters 'of a new feminism which rejects the temptation of imitating models of male domination in order to acknowledge and affirm the true genius of women in every aspect of the life of society, and overcome all discrimination, violence and exploitation'."

"May God help you to work incessantly," he said, "so that all people, believers and non-believers, understand that the protection of human life, starting at conception, is a necessary condition to build a future worthy of man."
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/may/03052203.html
The text of the full address in Italian is available at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/may/documents/hf_jp-ii_s pe_20030522_movimento-vita_it.html

(with files from the Vatican Information Service)