Pope Francis ushered in the New Year with a powerful message emphasizing the sanctity of life, calling for a “firm commitment” to respect and protect human life from conception to natural death. During a New Year’s Day Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on January 1, 2024, the pope dedicated his homily to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and prayed for a greater societal awareness to care for all forms of life.
Francis, 88, prayed that people would learn to honor “every child born of a woman” and work to safeguard “the precious gift of life”—from unborn children to the elderly, the poor, the suffering, and the dying. He called for a united effort to “respect the dignity of human life,” urging all individuals to cherish their lives and look toward the future with hope.
In his address, Francis reiterated the Catholic Church’s strong stance against abortion and euthanasia, continuing to speak out on these issues with increasing fervor. He used stark language, likening abortion to “hiring a hitman to solve a problem” and called for a rejection of “small-minded rules” that he had initially criticized at the start of his papacy. In recent years, Pope Francis has been more vocal about abortion, even drawing controversy when he labeled Belgium’s abortion law as “homicidal” and announced a move toward the beatification of King Baudouin of Belgium, who abdicated rather than sign a law legalizing abortion.
The Mass was the final event in the pope’s busy Christmas schedule. This year’s celebrations were particularly taxing for Francis, who suffers from recurring respiratory problems, and marked the beginning of the Vatican’s Holy Year celebrations. The upcoming Holy Year, slated for 2025, will be a significant event, drawing millions of pilgrims to Rome.
In addition to his focus on the sanctity of life, Pope Francis also used the occasion to call on world leaders to forgive the debts of poorer nations, emphasizing that Christian leaders should set an example by taking the lead in such efforts. His plea for debt forgiveness underscores his broader vision for global peace and solidarity, especially as the Jubilee year progresses.
