WASHINGTON – Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States has taken the name Pope Leo XIV as the 267^th pope of the Catholic Church.

The following is a statement from Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life:

The pro-life movement would not have the strong presence it has today if it were not for the Catholic faithful. We have been blessed over the years with popes who have been fundamental in creating a Culture of Life. 

St. John Paul II issued the Evangelium Vitae, an encyclical which reaffirmed the universal right to life for all people. Pope Benedict XVI was an advocate of the right to life and followed the footsteps of his predecessor in keeping the right to life at the forefront of Catholic teaching. Pope Francis, like his predecessors, was a strong advocate for the value and dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death. 

We look forward to Pope Leo XIV continuing the work of his predecessors in his dedication to the right to life and championing the most vulnerable among us.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.