Pope Francis called selective abortion following a prenatal diagnosis an “expression of an inhuman eugenic mentality,” saying it is “never the answer.”

The Holy Father gave his comments at a conference organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and the Heart in a Drop Foundation. With a theme of “Yes to Life! Caring for the precious gift of life in its frailness,” it brought together healthcare workers, ethicists, and families to discuss how to best provide support for families with “children born in conditions of extreme fragility.”

“Human life is sacred and inviolable and the use of prenatal diagnosis for selective purposes must be strongly discouraged, because it is the expression of an inhuman eugenic mentality, which deprives families of the possibility of welcoming, embracing and loving their weakest children.”

Pope Francis commented on the increasing prevalence of prenatal diagnoses, saying the “mere suspicion of disease changes the experience of pregnancy” and risks “throwing women and couples” into “deep despair.”

“The evolution of every disease is always subjective and often not even doctors know how it will manifest itself in the individual.”

Speaking on doctors, Pope Francis said they must be capable of “committing themselves to always finding solutions that respect the dignity of every human life.” Taking care of children like “to die immediately after childbirth helps parents to process mourning – that child will remain in their lives forever.”

Concluding his address to the conference, he thanked the families present: “your witness of love is a gift to the world.”

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1 COMMENT

  1. It’s good that Pope Francis has spoken out on prenatal diagnosis but, at times, it is a very difficult to ignore when faced with doubts and fear that arise from examinations and routine scans. It goes without saying that all life is precious. There are decisions that prospective parents have to make which is a gut wrenching, soul destroying time for them. There but for the grace of God……

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