“The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.”
Mother Teresa famously said this while standing on a dais with President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton in a National Prayer Breakfast Speech in Washington, D.C., in February 1994. It was big news at the time. A year into the reign of Pope Leo XIV, the first pope born in the United States — South Side Chicago, to be exact — it isn’t news that Leo cited Mother Theresa’s quote.
kAm$A62<:?8 E@ J@F?8 A6@A=6 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 😕 2 “!@=:E:42= x??@G2E:@? w24<2E9@?[” {6@ D2:5i “}@ A@=:4J 42? 86?F:?6=J D6CG6 E96 A6@A=6 :7 :E 56?:6D E96 F?3@C? E96 8:7E @7 =:76[ @C :7 :E ?68=64ED E@ DFAA@CE E9@D6 😕 ?665[ H96E96C 😕 E96:C >2E6C:2= 4:C4F>DE2?46D @C 😕 E96:C DA:C:EF2= 5:DEC6DD]”k^Am
kAm“w6C H@C5D C6>2:? AC@A96E:4[” {6@ D2:5 23@FE E96 762C=6DD[ >:89EJ[ E:?J ?F? H9@ 42AEFC65 E96 2EE6?E:@? @7 E96 H@C=5] w6C >6C6 AC6D6?46 H@F=5 492==6?86 FD — x C6>6>36C 36:?8 ;FDE J2C5D 7C@> 96C H9:=6 x H2D 2 DEF56?E 2E E96 r2E9@=:4 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 p>6C:42[ 2E 2 |2DD 2E E96 q2D:=:42 @7 E96 $9C:?6 @7 E96 x>>24F=2E6 r@?46AE:@?[ 25;246?E E@ E96 42>AFD[ H96C6 ?6H |:DD:@?2C:6D @7 r92C:EJ[ E96 C6=:8:@FD 4@>>F?:EJ D96 7@F?565 H6C6 >2<:?8 E96:C G@HD]k^Am
kAm“%96 8C62E6DE 56DEC@J6C @7 A6246 E@52J 😀 23@CE:@?[ 3642FD6 :E 😀 2 H2C 282:?DE E96 49:=5[ 2 5:C64E <:==:?8 @7 E96 :??@46?E 49:=5[ >FC56C 3J E96 >@E96C 96CD6=7[” |@E96C % D2:5 3=F?E=J 😕 96C }@36= 2446AE2?46 DA6649] x 92G6 2? F?DA@<6? CF=6 E92E :7 J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ E2=< E@ >6 23@FE D@>6E9:?8 6G:= =:<6 A@C?@8C2A9J[ x 5@ ?@E H2?E 8C2A9:4 56E2:=D] s@?’E AFE 2? :>286 😕 >J 9625 E92E >:89E ?@E 92G6 6?E6C65 😕 2?@E96C H2J] x 5@ ?@E 92G6 E96 D2>6 CF=6 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 23@CE:@?] |@E96C %6C6D2’D H@C5D ?665 E@ 36 962C5 3J 4:E:K6? 2?5 A@=:E:4:2? 2=:<6[ D@ E92E AF3=:4 7:8FC6D H:== C62=:K6 E92E 2 H6==\:?7@C>65 4@?D4:6?46 😀 2 362FE:7F= E9:?8 E@ 92G6 2?5 2 E6CC:3=6 E9:?8 E@ H2DE6]k^Am
kAmp E9C@H324< E@ 4=2C:EJ @? >@C2= :DDF6D 😀 ?@E 2 C25:42= 56A2CEFC6 7C@> !@A6 {6@’D AC65646DD@C[ !@A6 uC2?4:D] “{6@ 5@6D 7@==@H uC2?4:D H96? :E 4@>6D E@ DA62<:?8 @FE @? :>>:8C2E:@?[ E96 6?G:C@?>6?E[ A@G6CEJ 2?5 42A:E2= AF?:D9>6?E[” 244@C5:?8 E@ @?6 r}} 2?2=JD:D]k^Am
kAm%96 >65:2 =@?8D 7@C 2 7:89E 36EH66? %CF>A 2?5 E96 A@A6] %96J 5:5 :E H:E9 !@A6 uC2?4:D — AFEE:?8 9:> @? E96 4@G6C @7 #@==:?8 $E@?6 @?=J E@ H2C? 9:> E@ ?@E 5:D2AA@:?E E96:C 56D:C6D 7@C 9:>] qFE :7 J@F E9@F89E uC2?4:D H2D 492?8:?8 E96 r9FC49 E@ 6?5@CD6 E96 H9:>D @7 4@?G6?E:@?2= D@4:6EJ 2?5 (6DE6C? =:36C2= :56@=@8:6D — 6DA64:2==J D6IF2= C6G@=FE:@?2CJ @?6D — J@F H6C6 >:DE2<6?] w6 =:<6?65 23@CE:@? E@ 9:C:?8 2 9:E >2? E@ <:== J@FC F?3@C? 323J 2?5 E2=<65 23@FE 86?56C :56@=@8J 2D E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 2 ?F4=62C 3@>3 56DEC@J:?8 E96 ?F4=62C 72>:=J] w6 42?@?:K65 y@9? !2F= xx[ 42==:?8 9:> “E96 A@A6 @7 E96 72>:=J]”k^Am
kAm!@A6 {6@ 92D 2 ;@J 2?5 DE625:?6DD 23@FE 9:D r2E9@=:4:D>] xE D66>D E@ 4@>6 ?2EFC2==J E@ 9:>] u@C 2== E96 9625=:?6D[ 96 C62==J H2?ED J@F E@ E2<6 2H2J @?6 E9:?8i E96 =@G6 2?5 >6C4J @7 v@5 😕 y6DFD r9C:DE]k^Am
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book “A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living.” She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan’s pro-life commission in New York.