VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI met privately with U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, and told her that all Catholics, especially those who are lawmakers, must work to protect human life at every stage. Pelosi, a Catholic Democrat from California, has been criticized by many Catholics for her support for keeping abortion legal.

“His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death,” the Vatican said in a statement about the Feb. 18 meeting.

Pelosi was making an official visit to Italy to meet members of the U.S. military stationed in the country and to discuss common security concerns with Italian government leaders. Her 15-minute meeting with Pope Benedict took place in a small room in the Vatican audience hall after the pope’s weekly general audience.

In a statement released by her staff, Pelosi said, “In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.”