Vatican leader, Pope Francis has previously compared the act of abortion to “hiring a hit man” but has steered the Catholic Church to see pro-life as a larger issue than just abortion.

And now in a pair of statements, the Vatican has encouraged activists to understand being “pro-life” means supporting other issues, including all those that threaten life, like guns, poverty and rising maternity mortality rates.

“Being for life, always, for example, means being concerned if the mortality rates of women due to motherhood increase,” said Andrea Tornielli, the Vatican’s editorial director.

“Being for life, always, means asking how to help women welcome new life,” he wrote in a media editorial on Saturday.

“Being for life, always, also means defending it against the threat of firearms, which unfortunately have become a leading cause of death of children and adolescents in the U.S.” he added.