Pope Francis urges Europe to reject ‘throwaway culture’ (tells EU Parliament, "No to Abortion")

St. Louis Tribune ^ | Nov 25 2014 | JOSEPHINE MCKENNA

[Mrs. Don-o]

Strasbourg, France • Pope Francis on Tuesday urged European leaders to reject a "throwaway culture" that treats people like "cogs in a machine" too easily discarded through abortion and euthanasia.

Francis made the comments Tuesday to the European Parliament during a brief visit meant to highlight his vision for Europe a quarter-century after St. John Paul II travelled to Strasbourg to address a continent still divided by the Iron Curtain.

In a highly critical address amid tight security, Francis blamed "selfish lifestyles" and "uncontrolled consumerism" for promoting alienation and indifference to the poor during a time of economic crisis.

"Men and women risk being reduced to mere cogs in a machine that treats them as items of consumption to be exploited," Francis warned. "Whenever a human life no longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few qualms, as in the case of the terminally ill, the elderly who are abandoned and uncared for, and children who are killed in the womb.

"Upholding the dignity of the person means instead acknowledging the value of human life, which is freely given us and hence cannot be an object of trade or commerce."

The 77-year-old pontiff is well-known for his attacks on consumerism and for his compassion for the poor. More recently, Francis has turned his attention to bioethics issues, describing abortion, embryonic stem cell research and euthanasia as "playing with life" and "a sin against God."

[Mrs. Don-o]

Surprised the EU let him speak. Just a few years ago the EU barred Italy's Rocco Buttiglione from taking his seat as a member of the European Commision, for expressing exactly the same moral values.

[cloudmountain]

Surprised the EU let him speak. Just a few years ago the EU barred Italy's Rocco Buttiglione from taking his seat as a member of the European Commision, for expressing exactly the same moral values.

It WAS surprising.

Can't you still hear the women-fanatics screaming:
"STAY OUTTA MY WOMB!"??
I can.

I HOPE that there is an extra special place in H - E - double hockey sticks for females who abort/murder their babies, doctors who perform these murders and for all the a-holes who are cruel to babies, children, animals and the elderly.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Abortion is truly a hellish, a hell-bent action, as is sodomy, as is cruelty to children and the aged. It stirs us to wrath; it stirs God to wrath (that was in the First Reading at this morning's Mass.)

But I HOPE that there is an extra special place in the Heart of Jesus where his love can pour out like a coronal mass ejection (that's a solar event) and stir tremendous conversions. These people can be saved. We do not live in a world without grace.

[omega4412]

...discarded with few qualms, as in the case of the terminally ill...

Not discarded. Recycled. You too can be a parts person. "Netherlands aims to increase organ donations by euthanasia victims"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3230956/posts

[Arthur McGowan]

It annoys me when opposition to abortion seemingly must be linked with a lefty critique of the economy, or with recycling, or something. I.e., a “throwaway culture.”

Abortion is primarily the result of an absence of chastity, which makes people selfish and weak, and unable to face getting “into trouble” courageously. Not to mention that unchastity causes people to get “into trouble” in the first place.