Evangelium Vitae
Chapter IV
You did it to me.
For a New Culture of Human Life
"You are God's own people,
that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Pet
2:9): a people of life and for life
78. The Church has received the Gospel as a proclamation
and a source of joy and salvation. She has received it as
a gift from Jesus, sent by the Father "to preach good
news to the poor" (Lk 4:18). She has received
it through the Apostles, sent by Christ to the whole world
(cf. Mk 16:15; Mt 28:19-20). Born from this
evangelizing activity, the Church hears every day the echo
of Saint Paul's words of warning: "Woe to me if I do
not preach the Gospel!" (1 Cor 9:16). As Paul
VI wrote, "evangelization is the grace and vocation
proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in
order to evangelize".101
Evangelization is an all-embracing, progressive activity
through which the Church participates in the prophetic, priestly
and royal mission of the Lord Jesus. It is therefore inextricably
linked to preaching, celebration and the service of charity.
Evangelization is a profoundly ecclesial act, which
calls all the various workers of the Gospel to action, according
to their individual charisms and ministry.
This is also the case with regard to the proclamation of
the Gospel of life, an integral part of that Gospel
which is Jesus Christ himself. We are at the service of this
Gospel, sustained by the awareness that we have received it
as a gift and are sent to preach it to all humanity, "to
the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). With humility
and gratitude we know that we are the people of life and
for life, and this is how we present ourselves to everyone.
79. We are the people of life because God, in his
unconditional love, has given us the Gospel of life and
by this same Gospel we have been transformed and saved. We
have been ransomed by the "Author of life" (Acts
3:15) at the price of his precious blood (cf. 1 Cor
6:20; 7:23; 1 Pet 1:19). Through the waters of
Baptism we have been made a part of him (cf. Rom 6:4-5;
Col 2:12), as branches which draw nourishment and fruitfulness
from the one tree (cf. Jn 15:5). Interiorly renewed
by the grace of the Spirit, "who is the Lord and giver
of life", we have become a people for life and
we are called to act accordingly.
We have been sent. For us, being at the service of
life is not a boast but rather a duty, born of our awareness
of being "God's own people, that we may declare the wonderful
deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvellous
light" (cf. 1 Pet 2:9). On our journey we are
guided and sustained by the law of love: a love which
has as its source and model the Son of God made man, who "by
dying gave life to the world".102
We have been sent as a people. Everyone has an obligation
to be at the service of life. This is a properly "ecclesial"
responsibility, which requires concerted and generous action
by all the members and by all sectors of the Christian community.
This community commitment does not however eliminate or lessen
the responsibility of each individual, called by the
Lord to "become the neighbour" of everyone: "Go
and do likewise" (Lk 10:37).
Together we all sense our duty to preach the Gospel of
life, to celebrate it in the Liturgy and in our
whole existence, and to serve it with the various programmes
and structures which support and promote life.
"That which we have
seen and heard we proclaim also to you" (1 Jn 1:3): proclaiming
the Gospel of life
80. "That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life
... we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship
with us" (1 Jn 1:1, 3). Jesus is the only Gospel:
we have nothing further to say or any other witness to
bear.
To proclaim Jesus is itself to proclaim life. For
Jesus is "the word of life" (1 Jn 1:1). In
him "life was made manifest" (1 Jn 1:2);
he himself is "the eternal life which was with the Father
and was made manifest to us" (1 Jn 1:2). By the
gift of the Spirit, this same life has been bestowed on us.
It is in being destined to life in its fullness, to "eternal
life", that every person's earthly life acquires its
full meaning.
Enlightened by this Gospel of life, we feel a need
to proclaim it and to bear witness to it in all its marvellous
newness. Since it is one with Jesus himself, who makes
all things new 103
and conquers the "oldness" which comes from sin
and leads to death,104
this Gospel exceeds every human expectation and reveals the
sublime heights to which the dignity of the human person is
raised through grace. This is how Saint Gregory of Nyssa understands
it: "Man, as a being, is of no account; he is dust, grass,
vanity. But once he is adopted by the God of the universe
as a son, he becomes part of the family of that Being, whose
excellence and greatness no one can see, hear or understand.
What words, thoughts or flight of the spirit can praise the
superabundance of this grace? Man surpasses his nature: mortal,
he becomes immortal; perishable, he becomes imperishable;
fleeting, he becomes eternal; human, he becomes divine".105
Gratitude and joy at the incomparable dignity of man impel
us to share this message with everyone: "that which we
have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may
have fellowship with us" (1 Jn 1:3). We need to
bring the Gospel of life to the heart of every man
and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society.
81. This involves above all proclaiming the core of
this Gospel. It is the proclamation of a living God who is
close to us, who calls us to profound communion with himself
and awakens in us the certain hope of eternal life. It is
the affirmation of the inseparable connection between the
person, his life and his bodiliness. It is the presentation
of human life as a life of relationship, a gift of God, the
fruit and sign of his love. It is the proclamation that Jesus
has a unique relationship with every person, which enables
us to see in every human face the face of Christ. It is the
call for a "sincere gift of self" as the fullest
way to realize our personal freedom.
It also involves making clear all the consequences of
this Gospel. These can be summed up as follows: human life,
as a gift of God, is sacred and inviolable. For this reason
procured abortion and euthanasia are absolutely unacceptable.
Not only must human life not be taken, but it must be protected
with loving concern. The meaning of life is found in giving
and receiving love, and in this light human sexuality and
procreation reach their true and full significance. Love also
gives meaning to suffering and death; despite the mystery
which surrounds them, they can become saving events. Respect
for life requires that science and technology should always
be at the service of man and his integral development. Society
as a whole must respect, defend and promote the dignity of
every human person, at every moment and in every condition
of that person's life.
82. To be truly a people at the service of life we must propose
these truths constantly and courageously from the very first
proclamation of the Gospel, and thereafter in catechesis,
in the various forms of preaching, in personal dialogue and
in all educational activity. Teachers, catechists and
theologians have the task of emphasizing the anthropological
reasons upon which respect for every human life is based.
In this way, by making the newness of the Gospel of life
shine forth, we can also help everyone discover in the
light of reason and of personal experience how the Christian
message fully reveals what man is and the meaning of his being
and existence. We shall find important points of contact and
dialogue also with non- believers, in our common commitment
to the establishment of a new culture of life.
Faced with so many opposing points of view, and a widespread
rejection of sound doctrine concerning human life, we can
feel that Paul's entreaty to Timothy is also addressed to
us: "Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of
season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience
and in teaching" (2 Tim 4:2). This exhortation
should resound with special force in the hearts of those members
of the Church who di- rectly share, in different ways, in
her mission as "teacher" of the truth. May it resound
above all for us who are Bishops: we are the first
ones called to be untiring preachers of the Gospel of life.
We are also entrusted with the task of ensuring that the
doctrine which is once again being set forth in this Encyclical
is faithfully handed on in its integ- rity. We must use appropriate
means to defend the faithful from all teaching which is contrary
to it. We need to make sure that in theological faculties,
seminaries and Catholic institutions sound doctrine is taught,
explained and more fully investigated.106
May Paul's exhortation strike a chord in all theologians,
pastors, teachers and in all those responsible for catechesis
and the formation of consciences. Aware of their specific
role, may they never be so grievously irresponsible as to
betray the truth and their own mission by proposing personal
ideas contrary to the Gospel of life as faithfully
presented and interpreted by the Magisterium.
In the proclamation of this Gospel, we must not fear hostility
or unpopularity, and we must refuse any compromise or ambiguity
which might conform us to the world's way of thinking (cf.
Rom 12:2). We must be in the world but not of
the world (cf. Jn 15:19; 17:16), drawing our strength
from Christ, who by his Death and Res- urrection has overcome
the world (cf. Jn 16:33).
"I give you thanks
that I am fearfully, wonderfully made" (Ps 139:14): celebrating
the Gospel of life
83. Because we have been sent into the world as a "people
for life", our proclamation must also become a genuine
celebration of the Gospel of life. This celebration, with
the evocative power of its gestures, symbols and rites, should
become a precious and significant setting in which the beauty
and grandeur of this Gospel is handed on.
For this to happen, we need first of all to foster, in
ourselves and in others, a contemplative outlook.107
Such an outlook arises from faith in the God of life, who
has created every individual as a "wonder" (cf.
Ps 139:14). It is the outlook of those who see life
in its deeper meaning, who grasp its utter gratuitousness,
its beauty and its invitation to freedom and responsibility.
It is the outlook of those who do not presume to take possession
of reality but instead accept it as a gift, discovering in
all things the reflection of the Creator and seeing in every
person his living image (cf. Gen 1:27; Ps 8:5).
This outlook does not give in to discouragement when confronted
by those who are sick, suffering, outcast or at death's door.
Instead, in all these situations it feels challenged to find
meaning, and precisely in these circumstances it is open to
perceiving in the face of every person a call to encounter,
dialogue and solidarity.
It is time for all of us to adopt this outlook, and with
deep religious awe to rediscover the ability to revere
and honour every person, as Paul VI invited us to do in
one of his first Christmas messages.108
Inspired by this contemplative outlook, the new people of
the redeemed cannot but respond with songs of joy, praise
and thanksgiving for the priceless gift of life, for the
mystery of every individual's call to share through Christ
in the life of grace and in an existence of unending communion
with God our Creator and Father.
84. To celebrate the Gospel of life means to celebrate
the God of life, the God who gives life: "We must
celebrate Eternal Life, from which every other life proceeds.
From this, in proportion to its capacities, every being which
in any way participates in life, receives life. This Divine
Life, which is above every other life, gives and preserves
life. Every life and every living movement proceed from this
Life which transcends all life and every principle of life.
It is to this that souls owe their incorruptibility; and because
of this all animals and plants live, which receive only the
faintest glimmer of life. To men, beings made of spirit and
matter, Life grants life. Even if we should abandon Life,
because of its overflowing love for man, it converts us and
calls us back to itself. Not only this: it promises to bring
us, soul and body, to perfect life, to immortality. It is
too little to say that this Life is alive: it is the Principle
of life, the Cause and sole Wellspring of life. Every living
thing must contemplate it and give it praise: it is Life which
overflows with life".109
Like the Psalmist, we too, in our daily prayer as
individuals and as a community, praise and bless God our Father,
who knitted us together in our mother's womb, and saw and
loved us while we were still without form (cf. Ps 139:13,
15-16). We exclaim with overwhelming joy: "I give you
thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are
your works. You know me through and through" (Ps 139:14).
Indeed, "despite its hardships, its hidden mysteries,
its suffering and its inevitable frailty, this mortal life
is a most beautiful thing, a marvel ever new and moving, an
event worthy of being exalted in joy and glory".110
Moreover, man and his life appear to us not only as one of
the greatest marvels of creation: for God has granted to man
a dignity which is near to divine (Ps 8:5-6). In every
child which is born and in every person who lives or dies
we see the image of God's glory. We celebrate this glory in
every human being, a sign of the living God, an icon of Jesus
Christ.
We are called to express wonder and gratitude for the gift
of life and to welcome, savour and share the Gospel of
life not only in our personal and community prayer, but
above all in the celebrations of the liturgical year. Particularly
important in this regard are the Sacraments, the efficacious
signs of the presence and saving action of the Lord Jesus
in Christian life. The Sacraments make us sharers in divine
life, and provide the spiritual strength necessary to experience
life, suffering and death in their fullest meaning. Thanks
to a genuine rediscovery and a better appreciation of the
significance of these rites, our liturgical celebrations,
especially celebrations of the Sacraments, will be ever more
capable of expressing the full truth about birth, life, suffering
and death, and will help us to live these moments as a participation
in the Paschal Mystery of the Crucified and Risen Christ.
85. In celebrating the Gospel of life we also need
toappreciate and make good use of the wealth of gestures
and symbols present in the traditions and customs of different
cultures and peoples. There are special times and ways
in which the peoples of different nations and cultures express
joy for a newborn life, respect for and protection of individual
human lives, care for the suffering or needy, closeness to
the elderly and the dying, participation in the sorrow of
those who mourn, and hope and desire for immortality.
In view of this and following the suggestion made by the
Cardinals in the Consistory of 1991, I propose that a Day
for Life be celebrated each year in every country, as
already established by some Episcopal Conferences. The celebration
of this Day should be planned and carried out with the active
participation of all sectors of the local Church. Its primary
purpose should be to foster in individual consciences, in
families, in the Church and in civil society a recognition
of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and
in every condition. Particular attention should be drawn to
the seriousness of abortion and euthanasia, without neglecting
other aspects of life which from time to time deserve to be
given careful consideration, as occasion and circumstances
demand.
86. As part of the spiritual worship acceptable to God (cf.
Rom 12:1), the Gospel of life is to be celebrated
above all in daily living, which should be filled with
self-giving love for others. In this way, our lives will become
a genuine and respon- sible acceptance of the gift of life
and a heartfelt song of praise and gratitude to God who has
given us this gift. This is already happening in the many
different acts of selfless generosity, often humble and hidden,
carried out by men and women, children and adults, the young
and the old, the healthy and the sick.
It is in this context, so humanly rich and filled with love,
that heroic actions too are born. These are the
most solemn celebration of the Gospel of life, for they
proclaim it by the total gift of self. They are the
radiant manifestation of the highest degree of love, which
is to give one's life for the person loved (cf. Jn 15:13).
They are a sharing in the mystery of the Cross, in which Jesus
reveals the value of every person, and how life attains its
fullness in the sincere gift of self. Over and above such
outstanding moments, there is an everyday heroism, made up
of gestures of sharing, big or small, which build up an authentic
culture of life. A particularly praiseworthy example of such
gestures is the donation of organs, performed in an ethically
acceptable manner, with a view to offering a chance of health
and even of life itself to the sick who sometimes have no
other hope.
Part of this daily heroism is also the silent but effective
and eloquent witness of all those "brave mothers who
devote themselves to their own fam- ily without reserve, who
suffer in giving birth to their children and who are ready
to make any effort, to face any sacrifice, in order to pass
on to them the best of themselves".111
In living out their mission "these heroic women do not
always find support in the world around them. On the contrary,
the cultural models frequently promoted and broadcast by the
media do not encourage motherhood. In the name of progress
and modernity the values of fidelity, chastity, sacrifice,
to which a host of Christian wives and mothers have borne
and continue to bear outstanding witness, are presented as
obsolete ... We thank you, heroic mothers, for your invincible
love! We thank you for your intrepid trust in God and in his
love. We thank you for the sacrifice of your life ... In the
Paschal Mystery, Christ restores to you the gift you gave
him. Indeed, he has the power to give you back the life you
gave him as an offering".112
"What does it profit,
my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works?"
(Jas 2:14): serving the Gospel of life
87. By virtue of our sharing in Christ's royal mission, our
support and promotion of human life must be accomplished through
the service of charity, which finds expression in personal
witness, various forms of volunteer work, social activity
and political commitment. This is a particularly pressing
need at the present time, when the "culture of death"
so forcefully opposes the "culture of life" and
often seems to have the upper hand. But even before that it
is a need which springs from "faith working through love"
(Gal 5:6). As the Letter of James admonishes us: "What
does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but
has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister
is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says
to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled', without giving
them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (2:14-17).
In our service of charity, we must be inspired and distinguished
by a specific attitude: we must care for the other as
a person for whom God has made us responsible. As disciples
of Jesus, we are called to become neighbours to everyone (cf.
Lk 10:29-37), and to show special favour to those who
are poorest, most alone and most in need. In helping the hungry,
the thirsty, the foreigner, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned
- as well as the child in the womb and the old person who
is suffering ornear death - we have the opportunity to serve
Jesus. He himself said: "As you did it to one of the
least of these my breth- ren, you did it to me" (Mt
25:40). Hence we cannot but feel called to account and
judged by the ever relevant words of Saint John Chrysostom:
"Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not neglect
it when you find it naked. Do not do it homage here in the
church with silk fabrics only to neglect it outside where
it suffers cold and nakedness".113
Where life is involved, the service of charity
must be profoundly consistent. It cannot tolerate bias
and discrimination, for human life is sacred and inviolable
at every stage and in every situation; it is an indivisible
good. We need then to "show care" for all life
and for the life of everyone. Indeed, at an even deeper
level, we need to go to the very roots of life and love.
It is this deep love for every man and woman which has given
rise down the centuries to an outstanding history of charity,
a history which has brought into being in the Church and society
many forms of service to life which evoke admiration from
all unbiased observers. Every Christian community, with a
renewed sense of responsibility, must continue to write this
history through various kinds of pastoral and social activity.
To this end, appropriate and effective programmes of support
for new life must be implemented, with special closeness
to mothers who, even without the help of the father, are not
afraid to bring their child into the world and to raise it.
Similar care must be shown for the life of the marginalized
or suffering, especially in its final phases.
88. All of this involves a patient and fearless work of
education aimed at encouraging one and all to bear each
other's burdens (cf. Gal 6:2). It requires a continuous
promotion of vocations to service, particularly among
the young. It involves the implementation of long-term practical
projects and initiatives inspired by the Gospel.
Many are the means towards this end which need
to be developed with skill and serious commitment. At
the first stage of life, centres for natural methods of
regulating fertility should be promoted as a valuable
help to responsible parenthood, in which all individuals,
and in the first place the child, are recognized and respected
in their own right, and where every decision is guided by
the ideal of the sincere gift of self. Marriage and family
counselling agencies by their specific work of guidance
and prevention, carried out in accordance with an anthropology
consistent with the Christian vision of the person, of the
couple and of sexuality, also offer valuable help in rediscovering
the meaning of love and life, and in supporting and accompanying
every family in its mission as the "sanctuary of life".
Newborn life is also served by centres of assistance and
homes or centres where new life receives a welcome. Thanks
to the work of such centres, many unmarried mothers and couples
in difficulty discover new hope and find assistance and support
in overcoming hardship and the fear of accepting a newly conceived
life or life which has just come into the world.
When life is challenged by conditions of hardship, maladjustment,
sickness or rejection, other programmes - such as communities
for treating drug addiction, residential communities for minors
or the mentally ill, care and relief centres for AIDS patients,
associations for solidarity especially towards the disabled
- are eloquent expressions of what charity is able to devise
in order to give everyone new reasons for hope and practical
possibilities for life.
And when earthly existence draws to a close, it is again
charity which finds the most appropriate means for enabling
the elderly, especially those who can no longer look
after themselves, and the terminally ill to enjoy genuinely
humane assistance and to receive an adequate response to their
needs, in particular their anxiety and their loneliness. In
these cases the role of families is indispensable; yet families
can receive much help from social welfare agencies and, if
necessary, from recourse to palliative care, taking
advantage of suitable medical and social services available
in public institutions or in the home.
In particular, the role of hospitals, clinics and
convalescent homes needs to be reconsidered. These
should not merely be institutions where care is provided for
the sick or the dying. Above all they should be places where
suffering, pain and death are acknowledged and understood
in their human and specifically Christian meaning. This must
be especially evident and effective in institutes staffed
by Religious or in any way connected with the Church.
89. Agencies and centres of service to life, and all other
initiatives of support and solidarity which circumstances
may from time to time suggest, need to be directed by people
who are generous in their involvement and fully aware of
the importance of the Gospel of life for the good of
individuals and society.
A unique responsibility belongs to health-care personnel:
doctors, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, men and women religious,
administrators and volunteers. Their profession calls
for them to be guardians and servants of human life. In today's
cultural and social context, in which science and the practice
of medicine risk losing sight of their inherent ethical dimension,
health-care professionals can be strongly tempted at times
to become manipulators of life, or even agents of death. In
the face of this temptation their responsibility today is
greatly increased. Its deepest inspiration and strongest support
lie in the intrinsic and undeniable ethical dimension of the
health-care profession, something already recognized by the
ancient and still relevant Hippocratic Oath, which
requires every doctor to commit himself to absolute respect
for human life and its sacredness.
Absolute respect for every innocent human life also requires
the exercise of conscientious objection in relation
to procured abortion and euthanasia. "Causing death"
can never be considered a form of medical treatment, even
when the intention is solely to comply with the patient's
request. Rather, it runs completely counter to the health-
care profession, which is meant to be an impassioned and unflinching
affirmation of life. Bio- medical research too, a field which
promises great benefits for humanity, must always reject experimentation,
research or applications which disregard the inviolable dignity
of the human being, and thus cease to be at the service of
people and become instead means which, under the guise of
helping people, actually harm them.
90. Volunteer workers have a specific role to play:
they make a valuable contribution to the service of life when
they combine professional ability and generous, selfless love.
The Gospel of life inspires them to lift their feelings
of good will towards others to the heights of Christ's charity;
to renew every day, amid hard work and weariness, their awareness
of the dignity of every person; to search out people's needs
and, when necessary, to set out on new paths where needs are
greater but care and support weaker.
If charity is to be realistic and effective, it demands that
the Gospel of life be implemented also by means of
certain forms of social activity and commitment in the
political field, as a way of defending and promoting the
value of life in our ever more complex and pluralistic societies.
Individuals, families, groups and associations, albeit
for different reasons and in different ways, all have a responsibility
for shaping society and developing cultural, economic, political
and legislative projects which, with respect for all and in
keeping with democratic principles, will contribute to the
building of a society in which the dignity of each person
is recognized and protected and the lives of all are defended
and enhanced.
This task is the particular responsibility of civil leaders.
Called to serve the people and the common good, they have
a duty to make courageous choices in support of life, especially
through legislative measures. In a democratic system,
where laws and decisions are made on the basis of the consensus
of many, the sense of personal responsibility in the consciences
of individuals invested with authority may be weakened. But
no one can ever renounce this responsibility, especially when
he or she has a legislative or decision-making mandate, which
calls that person to answer to God, to his or her own conscience
and to the whole of society for choices which may be contrary
to the common good. Although laws are not the only means of
protecting human life, nevertheless they do play a very important
and sometimes decisive role in influencing patterns of thought
and behaviour. I repeat once more that a law which violates
an innocent person's natural right to life is unjust and,
as such, is not valid as a law. For this reason I urgently
appeal once more to all political leaders not to pass laws
which, by disregarding the dignity of the person, undermine
the very fabric of society.
The Church well knows that it is difficult to mount an effective
legal defence of life in pluralistic democracies, because
of the presence of strong cultural currents with differing
outlooks. At the same time, certain that moral truth cannot
fail to make its presence deeply felt in every conscience,
the Church encourages political leaders, starting with those
who are Christians, not to give in, but to make those choices
which, taking into account what is realistically attainable,
will lead to the re- establishment of a just order in the
defence and promotion of the value of life. Here it must be
noted that it is not enough to remove unjust laws. The underlying
causes of attacks on life have to be eliminated, especially
by ensuring proper support for families and motherhood. A
family policy must be the basis and driving force of all
social policies. For this reason there need to be set
in place social and political initiatives capable of guaranteeing
conditions of true freedom of choice in matters of parenthood.
It is also necessary to rethink labour, urban, residential
and social service policies so as to harmonize working schedules
with time available for the family, so that it becomes effectively
possible to take care of children and the elderly.
91. Today an important part of policies which favour life
is the issue of population growth. Certainly public
authorities have a responsibility to "intervene to orient
the demography of the population".114
But such interventions must always take into account and respect
the primary and inalienable responsibility of married couples
and families, and cannot employ methods which fail to respect
the person and fundamental human rights, beginning with the
right to life of every innocent human being. It is therefore
morally unacceptable to encourage, let alone impose, the use
of methods such as contraception, sterilization and abortion
in order to regulate births. The ways of solving the population
problem are quite different. Governments and the various international
agencies must above all strive to create economic, social,
public health and cultural conditions which will enable married
couples to make their choices about procreation in full freedom
and with genuine responsibility. They must then make efforts
to ensure "greater opportunities and a fairer distribution
of wealth so that everyone can share equitably in the goods
of creation. Solutions must be sought on the global level
by establishing a true economy of communion and sharing
of goods, in both the national and international order".115
This is the only way to respect the dignity of persons and
families, as well as the authentic cultural patrimony of peoples.
Service of the Gospel of life is thus an immense and
complex task. This service increasingly appears as a valuable
and fruitful area for positive cooperation with our brothers
and sisters of other Churches and ecclesial communities, in
accordance with the practical ecumenism which the Second
Vatican Council authoritatively encouraged.116
It also appears as a providential area for dialogue and joint
efforts with the followers of other religions and with all
people of good will. No single person or group has a monopoly
on the defence and promotion of life. These are everyone's
task and responsibility. On the eve of the Third Millennium,
the challenge facing us is an arduous one: only the concerted
efforts of all those who believe in the value of life can
prevent a setback of unforeseeable consequences for civilization.
"Your children will
be like olive shoots around your table" (Ps 128:3): the
family as the "sanctuary of life"
92. Within the "people of life and the people for life",
the family has a decisive responsibility. This responsibility
flows from its very nature as a community of life and love,
founded upon marriage, and from its mission to "guard,
reveal and communicate love".117
Here it is a matter of God's own love, of which parents are
co-workers and as it were interpreters when they transmit
life and raise it according to his fatherly plan.118
This is the love that becomes selflessness, receptiveness
and gift. Within the family each member is accepted, respected
and honoured precisely because he or she is a person; and
if any family member is in greater need, the care which he
or she receives is all the more intense and attentive.
The family has a special role to play throughout the life
of its members, from birth to death. It is truly "the
sanctuary of life: the place in which life - the
gift of God - can be properly welcomed and protected against
the many attacks to which it is exposed, and can develop in
accordance with what constitutes authentic human growth".119
Consequently the role of the family in building a culture
of life is decisive and irreplaceable.
As the domestic church, the family is summoned to
proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life. This
is a responsibility which first concerns married couples,
called to be givers of life, on the basis of an ever greater
awareness of the meaning of procreation as a unique
event which clearly reveals that human life is a gift received
in order then to be given as a gift. In giving origin
to a new life, parents recognize that the child, "as
the fruit of their mutual gift of love, is, in turn, a gift
for both of them, a gift which flows from them".120
It is above all in raising children that the family
fulfils its mission to proclaim the Gospel of life. By
word and example, in the daily round of relations and choices,
and through concrete actions and signs, parents lead their
children to authentic freedom, actualized in the sincere gift
of self, and they cultivate in them respect for others, a
sense of justice, cordial openness, dialogue, generous service,
solidarity and all the other values which help people to live
life as a gift. In raising children Christian parents must
be concerned about their children's faith and help them to
fulfil the vocation God has given them. The parents' mission
as educators also includes teaching and giving their children
an example of the true meaning of suffering and death. They
will be able to do this if they are sensitive to all kinds
of suffering around them and, even more, if they succeed in
fostering attitudes of closeness, assistance and sharing towards
sick or elderly members of the family.
93. The family celebrates the Gospel of life through
daily prayer, both individual prayer and family prayer.
The family prays in order to glorify and give thanks to God
for the gift of life, and implores his light and strength
in order to face times of difficulty and suffering without
losing hope. But the celebration which gives meaning to every
other form of prayer and worship is found in the family's
actual daily life together, if it is a life of love and
self-giving.
This celebration thus becomes a service to the Gospel
of life, expressed through solidarity as experienced
within and around the family in the form of concerned, attentive
and loving care shown in the humble, ordinary events of each
day. A particularly significant expression of solidarity between
families is a willingness to adopt or take in children
abandoned by their parents or in situations of serious hardship.
True parental love is ready to go beyond the bonds of flesh
and blood in order to accept children from other families,
offering them whatever is necessary for their well-being and
full development. Among the various forms of adoption, consideration
should be given to adoption-at-a-distance, preferable
in cases where the only reason for giving up the child is
the extreme poverty of the child's family. Through this type
of adoption, parents are given the help needed to support
and raise their children, without their being uprooted from
their natural environment.
As "a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself
to the common good",121
solidarity also needs to be practised through participation
in social and political life. Serving the Gospel of
life thus means that the family, particularly through
its membership of family associations, works to ensure that
the laws and institutions of the State in no way violate the
right to life, from conception to natural death, but rather
protect and promote it.
94. Special attention must be given to the elderly. While
in some cultures older people remain a part of the family
with an important and active role, in others the elderly are
regarded as a useless burden and are left to themselves. Here
the temptation to resort to euthanasia can more easily arise.
Neglect of the elderly or their outright rejection are intolerable.
Their presence in the family, or at least their closeness
to the family in cases where limited living space or other
reasons make this impossible, is of fundamental importance
in creating a climate of mutual interaction and enriching
communication between the different age-groups. It is therefore
important to preserve, or to re-establish where it has been
lost, a sort of "covenant" between generations.
In this way parents, in their later years, can receive from
their children the acceptance and solidarity which they themselves
gave to their children when they brought them into the world.
This is required by obedience to the divine commandment to
honour one's father and mother (cf. Ex 20:12; Lev
19:3). But there is more. The elderly are not only to
be considered the object of our concern, closeness and service.
They themselves have a valuable contribution to make to the
Gospel of life. Thanks to the rich treasury of experiences
they have acquired through the years, the elderly can and
must be sources of wisdom and witnesses of hope and love.
Although it is true that "the future of humanity passes
by way of the family",122
it must be admitted that modern social, economic and cultural
conditions make the family's task of serving life more difficult
and demanding. In order to fulfil its vocation as the "sanctuary
of life", as the cell of a society which loves and welcomes
life, the family urgently needs to be helped and supported.
Communities and States must guarantee all the support,
including economic support, which families need in order to
meet their problems in a truly human way. For her part, the
Church must untiringly promote a plan of pastoral care for
families, capable of making every family rediscover and live
with joy and courage its mission to further the Gospel
of life.
"Walk as children
of light" (Eph 5:8): bringing about a transformation
of culture
95. "Walk as children of light ... and try to learn
what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful
works of darkness" (Eph 5:8, 10-11). In our present
social context, marked by a dramatic struggle between the
"culture of life" and the "culture of death",
there is need to develop a deep critical sense, capable
of discerning true values and authentic needs.
What is urgently called for is a general mobilization
of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate
a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must
build a new culture of life: new, because it will be able
to confront and solve today's unprecedented problems affecting
human life; new, because it will be adopted with deeper and
more dynamic conviction by all Christians; new, because it
will be capable of bringing about a serious and courageous
cultural dialogue among all parties. While the urgent need
for such a cultural transformation is linked to the present
historical situation, it is also rooted in the Church's mission
of evangelization. The purpose of the Gospel, in fact, is
"to transform humanity from within and to make it new".123
Like the yeast which leavens the whole measure of dough (cf.
Mt 13:33), the Gospel is meant to permeate all cultures
and give them life from within,124
so that they may express the full truth about the human person
and about human life.
We need to begin with the renewal of a culture of life
within Christian communities themselves. Too often it
happens that believers, even those who take an active part
in the life of the Church, end up by separating their Christian
faith from its ethical requirements concerning life, and thus
fall into moral subjectivism and certain objectionable ways
of acting. With great openness and courage, we need to question
how widespread is the culture of life today among individual
Christians, families, groups and communities in our Dioceses.
With equal clarity and determination we must identify the
steps we are called to take in order to serve life in all
its truth. At the same time, we need to promote a serious
and in-depth exchange about basic issues of human life with
everyone, including non-believers, in intellectual circles,
in the various professional spheres and at the level of people's
everyday life.
96. The first and fundamental step towards this cultural
transformation consists in forming consciences with
regard to the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human
life. It is of the greatest importance to re-establish
the essential connection between life and freedom. These
are inseparable goods: where one is violated, the other also
ends up being violated. There is no true freedom where life
is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life
except in freedom. Both realities have something inherent
and specific which links them inextricably: the vocation to
love. Love, as a sincere gift of self,125
is what gives the life and freedom of the person their truest
meaning.
No less critical in the formation of conscience is the
recovery of the necessary link between freedom and truth.
As I have frequently stated, when freedom is detached
from objective truth it becomes impossible to establish personal
rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for
society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals
or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority.126
It is therefore essential that man should acknowledge his
inherent condition as a creature to whom God has granted being
and life as a gift and a duty. Only by admitting his innate
dependence can man live and use his freedom to the full, and
at the same time respect the life and freedom of every other
person. Here especially one sees that "at the heart of
every culture lies the attitude man takes to the greatest
mystery: the mystery of God".127
Where God is denied and people live as though he did not exist,
or his commandments are not taken into account, the dignity
of the human person and the inviolability of human life also
end up being rejected or compromised.
97. Closely connected with the formation of conscience is
the work of education, which helps individuals to be
ever more human, leads them ever more fully to the truth,
instils in them growing respect for life, and trains them
in right interpersonal relationships.
In particular, there is a need for education about the value
of life from its very origins. It is an illusion to
think that we can build a true culture of human life if we
do not help the young to accept and experience sexuality and
love and the whole of life according to their true meaning
and in their close interconnection. Sexuality, which enriches
the whole person, "manifests its inmost meaning in leading
the person to the gift of self in love".128
The trivialization of sexuality is among the principal factors
which have led to contempt for new life. Only a true love
is able to protect life. There can be no avoiding the duty
to offer, especially to adolescents and young adults, an authentic
education in sexuality and in love, an education which
involves training in chastity as a virtue which fosters
personal maturity and makes one capable of respecting the
"spousal" meaning of the body.
The work of educating in the service of life involves the
training of married couples in responsible procreation. In
its true meaning, responsible procreation requires couples
to be obedient to the Lord's call and to act as faithful interpreters
of his plan. This happens when the family is generously open
to new lives, and when couples maintain an attitude of openness
and service to life, even if, for serious reasons and in respect
for the moral law, they choose to avoid a new birth for the
time being or indefinitely. The moral law obliges them in
every case to control the impulse of instinct and passion,
and to respect the biological laws inscribed in their person.
It is precisely this respect which makes legitimate, at the
service of responsible procreation, the use of natural
methods of regulating fertility. From the scientific point
of view, these methods are becoming more and more accurate
and make it possible in practice to make choices in harmony
with moral values. An honest appraisal of their effectiveness
should dispel certain prejudices which are still widely held,
and should convince married couples, as well as health-care
and social workers, of the importance of proper training in
this area. The Church is grateful to those who, with personal
sacrifice and often unacknowledged dedication, devote themselves
to the study and spread of these methods, as well to the promotion
of education in the moral values which they presuppose.
The work of education cannot avoid a consideration of
suffering and death. These are a part of human existence,
and it is futile, not to say misleading, to try to hide them
or ignore them. On the contrary, people must be helped to
understand their profound mystery in all its harsh reality.
Even pain and suffering have meaning and value when they are
experienced in close connection with love received and given.
In this regard, I have called for the yearly celebration of
the World Day of the Sick, emphasizing "the salvific
nature of the offering up of suffering which, experienced
in communion with Christ, belongs to the very essence of the
Redemption".129
Death itself is anything but an event without hope. It is
the door which opens wide on eternity and, for those who live
in Christ, an experience of participation in the mystery of
his Death and Resurrection.
98. In a word, we can say that the cultural change which
we are calling for demands from everyone the courage to adopt
a new life-style, consisting in making practical choices
- at the personal, family, social and international level
- on the basis of a correct scale of values: the primacy
of being over having,130
of the person over things.131
This renewed life-style involves a passing from indifference
to concern for others, from rejection to acceptance of them.
Other people are not rivals from whom we must defend ourselves,
but brothers and sisters to be supported. They are to be loved
for their own sakes, and they enrich us by their very presence.
In this mobilization for a new culture of life no one must
feel excluded: everyone has an important role to play.
Together with the family, teachers and educators
have a particularly valuable contribution to make. Much
will depend on them if young people, trained in true freedom,
are to be able to preserve for themselves and make known to
others new, authentic ideals of life, and if they are to grow
in respect for and service to every other person, in the family
and in society.
Intellectuals can also do much to build a new culture
of human life. A special task falls to Catholic intellectuals,
who are called to be present and active in the leading centres
where culture is formed, in schools and universities, in places
of scientific and technological research, of artistic creativity
and of the study of man. Allowing their talents and activity
to be nourished by the living force of the Gospel, they ought
to place themselves at the service of a new culture of life
by offering serious and well documented contributions, capable
of commanding general respect and interest by reason of their
merit. It was precisely for this purpose that I established
the Pontifical Acad- emy for Life, assigning it the
task of "studying and providing information and training
about the principal problems of law and biomedicine pertaining
to the promotion of life, especially in the direct relationship
they have with Christian morality and the directives of the
Church's Magisterium".132
A specific contribution will also have to come from Universities,
particularly from Catholic Universities, and from Centres,
Institutes and Committees of Bioethics.
An important and serious responsibility belongs to those
involved in the mass media, who are called to ensure that
the messages which they so effectively transmit will support
the culture of life. They need to present noble models of
life and make room for instances of people's positive and
sometimes heroic love for others. With great respect they
should also present the positive values of sexuality and human
love, and not insist on what defiles and cheapens human dignity.
In their interpretation of things, they should refrain from
emphasizing anything that suggests or fosters feelings or
attitudes of indifference, contempt or rejection in relation
to life. With scrupulous concern for factual truth, they are
called to combine freedom of information with respect for
every person and a profound sense of humanity.
99. In transforming culture so that it supports life, women
occupy a place, in thought and action, which is unique and
decisive. It depends on them to promote a "new feminism"
which rejects the temptation of imitating models of "male
domination", in order to acknowledge and affirm the true
genius of women in every aspect of the life of society, and
overcome all discrimination, violence and exploitation.
Making my own the words of the concluding message of the
Second Vatican Council, I address to women this urgent appeal:
"Reconcile people with life".133
You are called to bear witness to the meaning of genuine
love, of that gift of self and of that acceptance of others
which are present in a special way in the relationship of
husband and wife, but which ought also to be at the heart
of every other interpersonal relationship. The experience
of motherhood makes you acutely aware of the other person
and, at the same time, confers on you a particular task: "Motherhood
involves a special communion with the mystery of life, as
it develops in the woman's womb ... This unique contact with
the new human being developing within her gives rise to an
attitude towards human beings not only towards her own child,
but every human being, which profoundly marks the woman's
personality".134
A mother welcomes and carries in herself another human being,
enabling it to grow inside her, giving it room, respecting
it in its otherness. Women first learn and then teach others
that human relations are authentic if they are open to accepting
the other person: a person who is recognized and loved because
of the dignity which comes from being a person and not from
other considerations, such as usefulness, strength, intelligence,
beauty or health. This is the fundamental contribution which
the Church and humanity expect from women. And it is the indispensable
prerequisite for an authentic cultural change.
I would now like to say a special word to women who have
had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors
which may have influenced your decision, and she does not
doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering
decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed.
Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But
do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try
rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If
you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility
and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to
give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. To the same Father and to his mercy you can
with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert
help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own
painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders
of everyone's right to life. Through your commitment to life,
whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming
and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to
them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at
human life.
100. In this great endeavour to create a new culture of life
we are inspired and sustained by the confidence that
comes from knowing that the Gospel of life, like the
Kingdom of God itself, is growing and producing abundant fruit
(cf. Mk 4:26-29). There is certainly an enormous disparity
between the powerful resources available to the forces promoting
the "culture of death" and the means at the disposal
of those working for a "culture of life and love".
But we know that we can rely on the help of God, for whom
nothing is impossible (cf. Mt 19:26).
Filled with this certainty, and moved by profound concern
for the destiny of every man and woman, I repeat what I said
to those families who carry out their challenging mission
amid so many difficulties: 135
a great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer
which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives
and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God,
the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community,
from every group and association, from every family and from
the heart of every believer. Jesus himself has shown us by
his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and
most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt
4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons cannot
be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29). Let
us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to
pray and fast so that power from on high will break
down the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal
from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the
evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life. May
this same power turn their hearts to resolutions and goals
inspired by the civilization of life and love.
"We are writing this
that our joy may be complete" (1 Jn 1:4): the Gospel
of life is for the whole of human society
101. "We are writing you this that our joy may be complete"
(1 Jn 1:4). The revelation of the Gospel of life
is given to us as a good to be shared with all people:
so that all men and women may have fellowship with us and
with the Trinity (cf. 1 Jn 1:3). Our own joy would
not be complete if we failed to share this Gospel with others
but kept it only for ourselves.
The Gospel of life is not for believers alone: it
is for everyone. The issue of life and its defence and
promotion is not a concern of Christians alone. Although faith
provides special light and strength, this question arises
in every human conscience which seeks the truth and which
cares about the future of humanity. Life certainly has a sacred
and religious value, but in no way is that value a concern
only of believers. The value at stake is one which every human
being can grasp by the light of reason; thus it necessarily
concerns everyone.
Consequently, all that we do as the "people of life
and for life" should be interpreted correctly and welcomed
with favour. When the Church declares that unconditional respect
for the right to life of every innocent person - from conception
to natural death - is one of the pillars on which every civil
society stands, she "wants simply to promote a human
State. A State which recognizes the defence of the fundamental
rights of the human person, especially of the weakest, as
its primary duty".136
The Gospel of life is for the whole of human society.
To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal
of society through the promotion of the common good. It
is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging
and defending the right to life, upon which all the other
inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which
they develop. A society lacks solid foundations when, on the
one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person,
justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically
acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of
ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially
where it is weak or marginalized. Only respect for life can
be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essential
goods of society, such as democracy and peace.
There can be no true democracy without a rec- ognition
of every person's dignity and without respect for his or her
rights.
Nor can there be true peace unless life is defended
and promoted. As Paul VI pointed out: "Every crime
against life is an attack on peace, especially if it strikes
at the moral conduct of people... But where human rights are
truly professed and publicly recognized and defended, peace
becomes the joyful and operative climate of life in society".137
The "people of life" rejoices in being able to
share its commitment with so many others. Thus may the "people
for life" constantly grow in number and may a new culture
of love and solidarity develop for the true good of the whole
of human society.
Conclusion >> |
