Pope Francis’ New Year’s message: ‘Respect life from conception to natural death’

This New Year’s Day, Pope Francis asserted the “firm commitment” Catholics must have to protect lives in the womb beginning at conception.

On Wednesday — which, in addition to being the first day of the new year, was the solemnity of Mary the Mother of God in the Catholic Church — the pope called on the faithful “to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person may cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to the future.”

The pope’s call to honor innocent human life extends beyond the womb. He said Catholics are to protect “the precious gift of life: life in the womb, the lives of children, the lives of the suffering, the poor, the elderly, the lonely and the dying.”

This is not the first time Pope Francis has emphasized the sanctity of human life and the need to protect it from conception until natural death. This past spring, he decried the “throwaway culture” of abortion and euthanasia, saying, “In the end, ‘persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected, especially when they are poor and disabled, “not yet useful” – like the unborn, or “no longer needed” – like the elderly.'”

READ: Kate Cox’s abortion fundraising email lies about her pregnancy and dehumanizes her aborted baby

The pope’s renewed call to protect life echoes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states clearly:

Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life…

Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.

Despite confusion caused by nominally “Catholic” politicians whose agendas are riddled with pro-death policies, the Church does not mince words when it comes to defending the dignity of every innocent human being and his or her right to not be killed. In 2025, and as always, Catholics are called on by their doctrine — and now by their Pope — to do their part in defending the sanctity of human life.

Tell President Trump, RFK, Jr., Elon, and Vivek:

Stop killing America’s future. Defund Planned Parenthood NOW!