Is the pope pro-life?
Is the pope Catholic?
At one time, the second question was a rhetorical retort meant to elicit a cheap laugh.
Currently, it's a topic open for serious debate, sad to say.
So is Pope Francis specifically pro-life? Well, I suppose so – if you come to that conclusion strictly by believing the following remarks (and similar remarks made occasionally in recent years) he gave to diplomats Jan. 8, as reported by the National Catholic Register:
I think primarily of innocent children discarded even before they are born, unwanted at times simply because they are ill or malformed or as a result of the selfishness of adults.
I'm glad he made those remarks, but what about the recent report "that Lilianne Ploumen, a Dutch politician and international abortion activist, received the Order of St. Gregory award from the Vatican in 2017 – a pontifical award given for 'meritorious service to the Church'"?
And what about Francis's praise of Italian abortion activist and abortionist Emma Bonino, who, according to this report, "is directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of approximately six million Italian babies between 1968 and [2017]"?
And what about Francis's "reform" (read: dismantling) of the Pontifical Academy for Life and his decision to name pro-abortion Professor Nigel Biggar to the academy, according to this report?
And, alas, we can't forget about notorious population control advocate Paul Ehrlich, who last year was invited to speak at a Vatican conference on "how to save the natural world," according to this report.
As the old adage goes, actions speak louder than words.
Dare I say that President Trump is friendlier to the pro-life movement than Pope Francis?