Pope Francis has been a fairly controversial pontiff. One day, he appeals to liberal Catholics. Another, the conservatives. The Holy Father hasn’t necessarily been a champion on the issue of abortion (granted, he had big shoes to fill in his predecessor St. John Paul II), but one of his go-to lines on the topic is as bold as it is accurate: abortion is like hiring a hitman.

In a handwritten letter penned in November, Pope Francis reiterated the line that he has used on one other occasion. “Is it fair to eliminate a human life to solve a problem? Is it fair to hire a hit man to solve a problem?” He naturally sparked a good bit of controversy from the usual crowd (secular abortion supporters & Catholics who pretend Catholicism includes abortion).

But his rhetorical insinuations are correct, course. And the analogy is accurate in multiple ways. Per his first question, there is no problem that justifies ending innocent human life to solve it. Plain and simple. Overpopulation? Global warming? Individual circumstances? The answer can never be ending human life.

And “hiring a hitman” is a very memorable comparison that works. Off the bat, it’s accurate in that both are acts of violence. Both end in the destruction of (at least) one human life. And both include a monetary transaction that benefits a party who profits from death. Abortionists are hitmen – hired to terminate a person who has been deemed a “problem.” It’s not an exact analogy, obviously. Mothers are far more victimized & often ignorant of the violence that is abortion, whereas a person hiring a hitman presumably has a good sense of the crime.

We don’t hear enough from Pope Francis about this injustice that kills millions each year, so it’s nice to see him speak up boldly about it. Incidentally, he wrote the letter in support of pro-life women from his home country of Argentina who are working to fight the legalization of elective abortion as we speak. We hope his support will help these brave ladies in the fight for Life.