Pope Francis Calls on UN to Uphold Right to Life and the Natural Family

Lisa Bourne : Sep 25, 2015
LifeSiteNews.com

"Consequently, the defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman, and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions." -Pope Francis

(New York, NY)—Pope Francis tied care for the environment to care for humanity in his address to United Nations this morning, saying that a right to the environment exists because every human life has value. (Photo: United Nations/via LifeSiteNews)

"First, it must be stated that a true 'right of the environment' does exist," the Holy Father said. "First, because we human beings are part of the environment."

"Because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures," Pope Francis said, citing his recent environmental encyclical Laudato Si.

Speaking about the importance of care for creation, equality and poverty reduction throughout his address, the pope wove in that these are founded on the basic right to life, as well as recognition for God-given complementary male and female genders.

"Consequently, the defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman (cf. Laudato Si', 155), and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions (cf. ibid., 123, 136)."

The Holy Father also said the UN's Sustainable Development Goals must be founded in the right to life.

"These pillars of integral human development have a common foundation, which is the right to life and, more generally, what we could call the right to existence of human nature itself," he said.

"The defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman, and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions."
The pontiff said solemn commitments are not enough in calling for an end to human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labor and prostitution, along with the drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime. (Photo via Newsday.com)

"Such is the magnitude of these situations and their toll in innocent lives, that we must avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism which would assuage our consciences," he stated. "We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges."

He went on to say it should not be forgotten that political and economic activity is only effective when it is understood as prudential activity that is conscious of the fact that plans and programs are dealing with real human beings.

Pope Francis also commented on the importance of the family as the foundation for society, stating, "government leaders must do everything possible to ensure that all can have the minimum spiritual and material means needed to live in dignity and to create and support a family, which is the primary cell of any social development."

He stressed the right of the family to oversee the education of its own children, and the Church to...

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