abortion

Pope Francis is “deeply grateful for the faithful witness shown publicly over the years by all who promote and defend the right to life of the most innocent and vulnerable members of our human family,”said Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

In a Jan. 18 press call with reporters, just days before the first post-Dobbs national March for Life in the nation’s capital, representatives of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which works to elect anti-abortion candidates, cast an optimistic tone about their chances in the next election cycle.

“Despite the monumental overturning of Roe in Dobbs v. Jackson, abortion on demand continues in Minnesota,” said Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, “and it’s never been more important to show lawmakers in St. Paul the depth of public support for protection for unborn children and their mothers.”

In focus: Catholics at March for Life, federal death penalty case, Nicaraguan bishop to stand trial

During its tenure, the next Congress and its speaker are also likely to offer a mixed bag of legislative results on issues of importance to Catholics. Some of those issues, including abortion and immigration, are cornerstones of increasingly partisan national debates.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will allow retail pharmacies to offer abortion pills in the United States for the first time, the agency announced Jan. 3, prompting criticism from Catholic and pro-life groups.

“The first week of the session has been filled with opportunities for all people of goodwill to together enact policies that promote a consistent ethic of life and put families first.”

Here is a collection of notable quotes from Pope Benedict XVI from homilies, documents, messages and speeches from 2005 to 2013, the years he served as pope.