Pope offers support to pro-life initiative to give legal recognition to human embryos





February 04, 2013. (Romereports.com) A new pro-life initiative seeks to give legal recognition to human fetuses within the European Union, as the campaign to collect more than a million signatures in support begins in several countries.

The group received explicit support from Pope Benedict XVI himself, over the weekend, during Sunday's Angelus.

BENEDICT XVI
“I salute the Movement for Life. I wish them success with the initiative called One of Us, so that Europe is always a place where the dignity of each human being is protected.”

The campaign, titled “One of Us”, is a citizen-driven initiative in response to a new EU provision that allows the people to introduce their own proposals. The end goal is also to root out abortion in Europe.

GRÉGOR PUPPINCK
Director, European Center for Law and Justice
“There is still a number of people who don't accept those practices, this violence because it is a violence to destroy human life, even very small, even as an embryo.”

Over the years, abortion has evolved as arguably one of the most divisive contemporary issues. In Europe, a vanguard for progressive social movements, most of the countries have liberal abortion laws.

The initiative would bar the European Union from funding what they call the destruction of human embryos, and therefore human life. It would also forbid using European taxpayer funds for abortion services, which critics argue are disguised under the umbrella of sexual health and reproductive services.

GRÉGOR PUPPINCK
Director, European Center for Law and Justice
“In the U.S. there are a number of campaigns in order to de-fund Planned Parenthood. We are in some extent trying to do the same, we ask the EU to stop funding Planned Parenthood and similar organizations.”

The campaign has already kicked off in several countries like Spain and Italy, while it will soon launch in others. Committees in each country are coordinated, and draw support from local politicians, church and ordinary citizens.

The initiative is the first of its kind. Supporters say they are confident they have more than enough support to restore, in their words, the dignity of life.

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