In a conversation he had with a priest friend, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina demonstrated that he considered the practice of abortion not only as the murder of an innocent human being, but as “a true suicide” for humanity.
The famous story developed in the middle of a conversation between Saint Pius and the Franciscan friar Pellegrino Funicelli, who shared it in his book Jack of All Trades of Padre Pio of 1991.
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In the conversation, Father Funicelli told the saint: “Today you denied absolution to a woman because she had voluntarily undergone an abortion. Why have you been so rigorous with this poor unfortunate woman?” (Padre Pio sometimes refused to give absolution to a penitent if he showed insufficient contrition; they often returned and he only gave absolution if they were sincere).
Saint Pius responded: “The day when people lose their horror of abortion will be the most terrible day for humanity. Abortion is not only homicide, but also suicide. Should we not have the courage to express our faith in the face of “Who commits two crimes in a single act?”
“Suicide?” asked Father Pellegrino.
“The suicide of the human race will be understood by those who will see the earth populated by the elderly and depopulated by children: Burned like a desert,” Padre Pio responded.
More than six million have died in Italy since abortion was legalized in Padre Pio’s native country in 1978.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in National Catholic Register.
Edward Pentin
Edward Pentin is a contributor to the National Catholic Register and a Vaticanist for EWTN News. He began reporting on the Pope and the Vatican on Vatican Radio before becoming a Rome correspondent for EWTN. He has also reported on the Holy See and the Catholic Church for several other publications, including Newsweek, Newsmax, Zenit, The Catholic Herald and The Holy Land Review, a Franciscan publication specializing in the Church and the Middle East.