Pope Benedict XVI told a delegation from Guatemala in a Saturday meeting that fighting child hunger is linked to the pro-life battle against abortion.He said promoting the best interest of children on hunger are similar to pro-life interests in a child's right to life.
The pontiff said that, without the right to life, children die, and without food, children are subjected to death as well.
"This primary right to food is intrinsically connected to the protection and the defense of human life, the first and inviolable rock upon which the entire edifice of human rights is founded," the pope said.
“The effort to help mothers, above all those who are in great difficulty, to bring children into the world with dignity, thus avoiding the unjustified recourse to abortion, will never be sufficient," the pope added, according to a Zenit report.
Pope Benedict continued his explanation, saying efforts to curb hunger are important but still placing the Catholic Church's pro-life message against abortion on a high pedestal.
"In this sense, safeguarding human life, in particular that which has already been conceived but not yet born, which is more innocent and defenceless, is a duty, with which there is linked, by its very nature, the care that the adoption of children be guaranteed by the legality of the procedures followed for this purpose," he said.
The pope traveled to the United States in April, where he clearly and articulately defended the Catholic position against abortion.
A poll from the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion found Pope Benedict XVI motivated Catholics to take a stronger stand on pro-life and moral issues.
The survey found half of respondents revealed a desire to lead a more moral life as a result of the pope's visit.
The results showed 64 percent of Catholics say they better understand the Church's position on issues now and 40 percent said they are more likely to vote as a result of the pontiff's visit.
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