Fifty-four years have passed since November 2, 1982. That day, John Paul II experienced one of the longest days of his first trip to Spain. There were many events, many speeches, many meetings: from the official reception with the King at the Royal Palace, to the meeting with journalists, to the visit to the World Tourism Organization, ending with Holy Mass with Christian families gathered in a Plaza de Lima packed with people.

Around two million people listened to one of the most anticipated messages of the papal visit: the one addressed to the family. John Paul II’s voice resonated throughout the square as he spoke of the “indissolubility of marriage,”  defended the right to life of the innocent, and emphatically rejected abortion, as he spoke of the irreplaceable and inalienable right of parents to raise their children according to their moral and religious convictions. “The family is the only community where each person is loved for who they are, not for what they have,” a visibly moved John Paul II said that day.

Wojtyla referred to a “very serious and fundamental” aspect: absolute respect for human life, which no person or institution, private or public, can ignore. Therefore, “whoever denies a defense to the most innocent and vulnerable human being, to the person already conceived, though not yet born, would commit a most serious violation of the moral order. The killing of an innocent person can never be legitimized! What sense would it make to speak of human dignity, of fundamental rights, if an innocent person is not protected, or if the means or private or public services are even provided to destroy defenseless human lives?”

Following those words, Pro-Vida Mairena was founded on November 2, 1982, 41 years ago today. Since then, we have passionately fought for the defense of life and the dignity of every human being, helping mothers and babies and transmitting, as faithfully as possible, what St. John Paul II called “The Culture of Life.” We recently published a third edition of “The Gospel of Life”