Catholic World News

Pope Francis: Pursuit of the common good is essential to the defense of human life

November 15, 2024

» Continue to this story on Pontifical Academy for Life

CWN Editor's Note: In a message to a conference organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Francis linked the defense of human life to the pursuit of the common good.

“If the defense of life limits itself to only a few aspects or moments, or entirely denies the existential, social and cultural dimensions, it risks being ineffective, and falling into the temptation of an ideological approach, where abstract principles are defended, rather than concrete people,” the Pope wrote. “The pursuit of the common good and justice are essential and indispensable for the defense of all human life, especially of the most fragile and defenseless, and for the respect of the entire ecosystem that we inhabit.”

The Pope added:

The common good is first and foremost a practice, built on fraternal acceptance and the common pursuit of truth and justice. In a world marked by so many conflicts and oppositions that resulted from the inability to look beyond specific interests, it is of great importance to recall the common good, one of the cornerstones of the Church’s social teaching.

We need solid economic theories that take up and develop this theme in its specificity, so that it can become a principle effectively inspiring political choices.

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