▁Catholic ▁country ) ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁legal ize ▁abort ion ▁in ▁limited ▁cases , ▁Francis ▁sent ▁a ▁message ▁to ▁the ▁Irish ▁asking ▁them ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁un born ▁and ▁vulner able ▁people . ▁Also ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁during ▁a ▁Wed nes day ▁audience ▁Francis ▁officially ▁bl essed ▁the ▁pro - life ▁march ▁in ▁Sz cz ec in , ▁Poland , ▁one ▁of ▁Europe ' s ▁largest ▁pro - life ▁events ▁and , ▁speaking ▁in ▁Italian , ▁encourag ed ▁the ▁Pol es ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁un born . ▁He ▁maintained ▁that ▁human ▁life ▁should ▁be ▁respect ed ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁from ▁conception ▁to ▁natural ▁death . ▁ ▁At ▁a ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁meeting ▁with ▁Catholic ▁gy ne colog ists , ▁Francis ▁condem ned ▁abort ion ▁saying ▁that : ▁" Every ▁child ▁that ▁isn ' t ▁born , ▁but ▁is ▁un just ly ▁condem ned ▁to ▁be ▁ab orted , ▁has ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁Jesus ▁Christ , ▁has ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ." ▁He ▁ad vised ▁the ▁gy ne colog ists ▁to ▁invoke ▁the ▁conscience ▁clause ▁to ▁refuse ▁to ▁perform ▁abort ions , ▁if ▁so ▁requested . ▁ ▁Francis ▁also ▁thought , ▁as ▁a ▁Card inal , ▁that ▁the ▁church ▁should ▁support ▁those ▁women ▁who ▁carry ▁on ▁with ▁their ▁pre gn ancy ▁despite ▁being ▁single ▁parents , ▁reject ing ▁the ▁option ▁to ▁abort . ▁He ▁maintained ▁that , ▁in ▁those ▁cases , ▁pri ests ▁should ▁not ▁refuse ▁to ▁bapt