Regarding the inclusion in the French Constitution of the guarantee of freedom for women who have abortions, the Pontifical Academy for Life supports the position of the French Bishops’ Conference.

On Feb. 29, the French Bishops’ Conference reiterated that “abortion, which remains an attack on life from the very beginning, cannot be viewed exclusively from the perspective of women’s rights. We regret that the debate initiated did not mention support measures for those who would like to keep their child.”

The Pontifical Academy for Life reiterates that precisely in the age of universal human rights, there can be no “right” to suppress a human life.

The Pontifical Academy for Life appeals to all governments and all religious traditions to give their best so that at this stage of History, the protection of life becomes an absolute priority, with real steps in favor of peace and social justice, with effective measures for universal access to resources, education, health. The specific life situations and difficult and dramatic contexts of our time must be addressed with the tools of a legal civilization that looks first to the protection of the weakest and most vulnerable.

The protection of human life is the first goal of humanity and can only develop in a world free of conflict and divisions, with science, technology, and industry serving the human person and fraternity.

For the Catholic Church “to defend life is not an ideology. It is a reality; a human reality which involves all Christians, precisely because they are Christian and because they are human.” (…) “it is a case of taking action on the cultural and educational level in order to transmit to future generations, the attitude of solidarity, care and welcome, in the full knowledge that the culture of life is not the exclusive heritage of Christians, but rather belongs to all those who, working to build fraternal relationships, recognize the value of each person, even when they are fragile and suffering.” (Pope Francis, General Audience March 25, 2020).

Vatican City, March 4, 2024

(Original text: FRENCH. Translation by Leonardo Stefanucci, revised by Fabrizio Mastrofini)