Pope Francis unequivocally upheld Catholic Church teaching on Saturday, telling a pro-life conference at the Vatican that abortion "is never okay" even in cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
“Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?” he asked according to the Associated Press. “Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?”
He also added that, even babies expected to die based on prenatal testing deserve healthcare in the womb. “Taking care of these children helps parents to grieve and not only think of it as a loss, but as a step on a path taken together,” Francis said.
His comments echo similar statements he has made in the past about abortion. "Last century, the whole world was scandalized by what the Nazis did to purify the race. Today, we do the same thing but with white gloves,” the leader of the Catholic Church said in 2018 regarding abortion.
Today, he "urged doctors and priests to support families to carry such pregnancies to term." The pope's position should not surprise anybody. It is in official church teaching that abortion in any case is inherently wrong.
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: 'Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law,'" according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.