Pope Francis Urges Congress to Defend Human Life at Every Stage of Development

Washington, D.C – Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics, challenged Congress and by extension all Americans on Thursday to break out of its cycle of polarization and paralysis and heal the “open wounds” of a planet torn by hatred, greed, poverty and pollution. In particular, the Pope used the opportunity to advocate for all lives, even the unborn, saying that the “Golden Rule” is a reminder of “our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” The comments were met by a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle.

Pope Francis then went on to Catholic Charities, where he met with a handful of people working to promote the dignity of the human person, including Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. She had this to say after the meeting:

“It was a profound honor and deep joy to meet the Holy Father today at Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C.” said Mrs. Mancini. “Symbolically, being included in such an event was all the more meaningful because being pro-life is about respecting the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death. During Pope Francis’ address to congress he mentioned Dorothy Day as an American hero. She was a woman who, after having chosen abortion, found the mercy, grace and healing that only God can bring following such an experience. The Holy Father’s messages, his actions and his presence have spoken to my heart and challenged me, and I pray that the same is true for every American.”

The March for Life in Washington, D.C., began as a small demonstration on January 22, 1974, the first anniversary of the now-infamous Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton and rapidly grew to be the largest pro-life event in the world.  The peaceful demonstration that has followed on this somber anniversary every year since is a witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time, abortion.

Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life Education and Defense Fund, is available for interviews. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Ryan Hughes at RHughes@SBPublicAffairs.com or (703) 739-5920.

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