Pope Francis compares abortion to mafia-style killing

Pope Francis compared abortion to hiring a “hit man to solve a problem” and complained about a “depreciation of human life” on Wednesday. The pontiff departed from the prepared text of his homily at his weekly audience on Saint Peter’s Square to make the comments, some of his strongest yet against abortion. “Interrupting a pregnancy is like eliminating someone,” Francis said. “Is it fair to hire a hit man to solve a problem? It is not fair. We cannot take out a human being, even if it is small.” His address was dedicated to the commandment exhorting the faithful not to kill. He also denounced war, exploitation and a culture of wastefulness. Francis said some justify abortion as respecting other rights, but he asked, “How can an act that suppresses innocent and defenseless life as it blossoms be therapeutic, civil or simply human?” It was the second time in recent months that Francis has expressed the church’s longstanding opposition to abortion in violent, stark terms. In June, Francis denounced how some couples resort to prenatal testing to see whether their unborn babies have malformations and then choose to have an abortion, which he said was the “white glove” equivalent of the Nazi-era eugenics program. Francis has framed both abortion and euthanasia as part of what he calls today’s “throwaway culture,” where the sick, the poor, the elderly and the unborn are considered unworthy of protection and dignity by a society that instead prizes individual prowess and success. Official church teaching opposing abortion is absolute, providing for no exceptions. Francis has acknowledged, however, that women sometimes are driven by circumstance to abortion, and he has extended the ability of ordinary priests – and not just bishops – to absolve them of the sin of abortion if they repent. Francis’ comments came during a three-week meeting of bishops from around the world on young people, where sexuality, including premarital sex, is among the topics of discussion. Catholic teaching on abortion has been in the headlines lately, including during the divisive confirmation process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Catholic whose vote could overturn legalized abortion in the U.S.

GREGORIO BORGIA/AP Pope Francis departs from the text of his homily on Wednesday to speak out against abortion.