The Vatican reiterated its opposition to abortion on Monday as French lawmakers announced they would enshrine the right in the country's constitution in a first in the world.
“The Pontifical Academy for Life recalls that in the era of universal human rights there can be no 'right' to take a human life,” the Vatican institute said in a statement, echoing concerns already raised by French Catholics bishops were voiced.
It called on “all governments and all religious traditions to do their best so that at this stage of history the protection of life becomes an absolute priority.”
“The specific life situations and difficult and tragic contexts of our time must be addressed on the basis of a law that seeks to protect above all the weakest and most vulnerable,” it added.
A congress of both French parliament buildings in Versailles was expected to vote on Monday to include the right to abortion in their country's constitution.
Abortion has been legal in France since 1975. But if lawmakers approve the new move, France will become the only country in the world to clearly protect the right to termination of pregnancy in its basic law.
Pope Francis, head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, has previously described abortion as “murder.”
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