Monday November 6, 2000

POPE TO EUROPE'S LEADERS: RIGHT TO LIFE IS MOST BASIC RIGHT

VATICAN, Nov 6 (LSN.ca) - In an address to delegates to the ministerial conference of the Council of Europe Friday, Pope John Paul II reminded the politicians that "the right to life" is the "most basic" right of all. During his talk he noted the modern problems of separating human rights from the true nature of the human person and the problem of interpreting rights solely from an individualistic perspective, with little consideration of the role of the family as "the fundamental unit of society".

The pope called it a "paradox that, on the one hand, the need to respect human rights is vigorously affirmed while, on the other, the most basic of them all - the right to life - is denied." The pope called it a "radical contradiction" that most European states have done away with the death penalty for criminals while allowing the death penalty for innocent unborn children. It is the pope's "fervent hope" that society will recognize that "enormous injustice is committed when innocent life in the womb of the Mother is not safeguarded."

For more quotes from the Pope's address see Zenit News at:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=8957

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/nov/00110605.html

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