Posted on 06/08/2026 9:18:27 PM PDT by Cronos
In the first papal address to Spanish lawmakers, Pope Leo XIV urged Spain’s political class to safeguard the “inviolable dignity of the human person” and reject abortion.
“Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence,” the pope said in Spanish.
Pope Leo’s trip to Spain, the first papal visit in 15 years, comes at a tense moment for the socialist-led government and the Catholic Church.
On the historic occasion, the American-born pontiff did not shy away from one of the Catholic Church’s most controversial positions.
“Every truly just society is built upon the recognition of the inviolable dignity of the human person,” Leo said. “Such dignity precedes any concession by the State and cannot be subordinated to shifting social consensus or the whims of the majority at any given moment.”
“It belongs to every human being by the very fact of their existence, and for this reason, it must guide every positive legal system,” the pope continued
Abortion in Spain is legal until 14 weeks of pregnancy, and at later stages in cases of risk to the life or health of the mother or fetal defects or disabilities. Recent reforms to the law allow abortion without parental consent from the age of 16.
“Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?” Pope Leo asked.
Despite public opinion in Spain being deeply divided on abortion, lawmakers gave the pope a seven-minute standing ovation amid chants of “Viva el Papa!” or “Long live the pope.”
Pope Leo’s visit to Spain has drawn massive crowds, with an estimated 1.5 million people attending Mass on Sunday in downtown Madrid and 600,000 young people for a prayer vigil.
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“Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?” Pope Leo asked. This guy might be ok after all.
Regards,
While Leo isn’t JP2, he is better than Frankie.
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