Pope: Abortion a 'Horrific' Part of 'Throwaway Culture'

Abortion is a sign of a "throwaway culture" that doesn't place enough value on goods or human life, Pope Francis said yesterday in his strongest words on the subject in his 10-month papacy. "Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as unnecessary," he said during his annual "State of the World" address at the Vatican, as per the Los Angeles Times. "It is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day."

The pope's remarks are certain to please conservative Catholics who worry that he hasn't been condemning abortion forcefully enough during a papacy that has focused on mercy over condemnation, the BBC notes. The pope also used the address to call for peace and reconciliation in conflict zones around the world and to express concern about international migrants, who often perish in their attempts to find better lives. "Sadly, there is a general indifference in the face of these tragedies, which is a dramatic sign of the loss of that sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters on which every civil society is based," he said. (More Pope Francis stories.)