Vatican City, May 4, 2012 / 11:01 am
Chiara, a young mother from Rome suffering from terminal cancer, deeply touched Pope Benedict with her story of opting to protect her third child by forgoing treatment.
The 28-year-old greeted the Pope at the conclusion of this week’s Wednesday General Audience on May 2, together with her 33-year-old husband Enrico.
The couple lost their two previous children – Maria, who suffered from anencephaly and lived only 30 minutes outside the womb, and David, who died hours after birth as he was born without legs or healthy internal organs.
In the case of their two deceased children, the couple refused abortion despite learning of their severe illnesses through pre-natal screening.