The Pope has publicly supported a new European prolife movement called ‘One of Us’, The Tablet reports:
Pope Benedict XVI has backed a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) that is trying to stop the European Commission from financing abortion, research or any other activities that lead to the destruction of human embryos.
“I greet the Movement for Life and wish it success on the “One of Us” initiative so that Europe might always be a place where every human being’s dignity is safeguarded,” the Pope said at his weekly Angelus the day Italy observed “Pro-Life Sunday”.
The new campaign, backed primarily by Catholic prolife groups from 20 European countries, has high goals: “Should the petition gain one million signatures by that time, the European Parliament will be forced to schedule a debate on the issue of life at conception.”
The ‘One of Us’ campaign website, www.oneofus.eu/, says the campaign is unique in history:
The ECI ‘One of Us’ has a greater political potential than any other initative that has been undertaken so far to protect the dignity of the person and life from conception at a European scale. If a consensus will be achieved among 1 Million citizens or more, a concrete ethical standard could be established across Europe with regards to the respect of the dignity of each member of the human family, no matter how young it is
Rome Reports has further coverage.