Pope Francis on March 20 noted that in Poland (and in other countries) the feast of the Annunciation, when Jesus became man in Mary's womb, is recognized as a Day for Life.
"Thinking of your homeland," the Holy Father said in the Wednesday general audience to Polish-speaking pilgrims, "I would like to relate to you my dream, which I expressed a few years ago writing about Europe:
May Poland be a land that protects life at every moment, from the moment it arises in the womb until its natural end. Do not forget that no one is master of life, neither their own nor that of others. I bless you from my heart.
Pope Francis' first address in Poland during his 2016 trip there for World Youth Day reflected his desire not only for the protection of life, but also for women and families to have necessary support.
He said:
Life must always be welcomed and protected. These two things go together – welcome and protection, from conception to natural death. All of us are called to respect life and care for it. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the State, the Church, and society to accompany and concretely help all those who find themselves in serious difficulty, so that a child will never be seen as a burden but as a gift, and those who are most vulnerable and poor will not be abandoned.
