Evangelium Vitae ( Russian: The Gospel of Life ) - the encyclical of Pope John Paul II on the value and inviolability of human life. The encyclical addresses fundamental issues regarding the human person in all aspects of its existence and reveals the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on the death penalty , abortion and euthanasia . The encyclical was proclaimed on March 25, 1995, on the day of the celebration of the celebration of the Annunciation.
| Evangelium vitae | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Encyclical |
| Author | Pope John Paul II |
| Original language | Latin |
| Date of writing | 1995 year |
| Date of first publication | March 25, 1995 . |
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| Following | |
| Catholic social learning | |
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The main points of the encyclical
1. Man is called by God to the fullness of life, which exceeds the size of his earthly existence. The greatness of this supernatural vocation shows the value of human life in all its manifestations, therefore life in time is the main condition for the whole process of a single and integral human existence and, having in its beginning and end of earthly life only Divine calling, cannot depend on interference from other human personalities.
2. John Paul II, on behalf of the Church, condemns all violence against human life as an insult to God Himself:
| Once again, I also strongly condemn these crimes on behalf of the whole Church, confident that I convey the true feelings of every person with a clear conscience: “... everything that is directed against life itself, such as all kinds of homicide, genocide, abortion, euthanasia and even intentional suicide, everything that violates the integrity of the human person, like self-mutilation, physical or moral torment, attempts to enslave the soul itself; everything that offends human dignity, such as inhuman living conditions, lawless imprisonment, exile, slavery, prostitution, trafficking in women and adolescents; or the shameful working conditions, when they turn workers into a simple tool of profit, neglecting their free and responsible personality, all these and similar deeds are truly ungodly. Introducing corruption into human civilization, they simultaneously dishonor those who resort to them, to an even greater degree than those who undergo them, and inflict the greatest insult to the Creator ” [1] . |
3. John Paul II compares the gospel of life that the Church preaches with modern society, which rejects the integrity of human life and lives in a “culture of death" that rejects the weak:
| (culture of death) ... .. spreads under the influence of powerful cultural, economic and political trends that reflect a certain concept of society, where success is the most important criterion. Considering the state of affairs from this point of view, one can, in fact, call it a war of the powerful against the powerless; life, requiring as much kindness, love and care as possible, is declared unnecessary or regarded as an unbearable burden and is ultimately rejected in one way or another. Anyone who, by his illness, disability, or simply the very fact of his existence, threatens prosperity or the life habits of more prosperous ones, turns out to be an enemy from whom we must defend ourselves or who must be destroyed. Thus, a “conspiracy against life” arises. He not only draws in individuals within the framework of their personal, family and social relations, but goes much further, acquires a global reach, shaking and destroying relations between peoples and states ” [2] . |
4. The gospel of life is intended for the entire human society, which must recognize the right of every person to life.
| Acting in support of life means contributing to the renewal of society by building the common good. For it is impossible to build up the common good unless you recognize and protect the right to life, on which all other inalienable human rights are based and derive from. There can be no firm foundations for a society that - even advocating for such values as dignity, justice and peace - sharply contradicts itself, recognizing and tolerating various forms of humiliation and destruction of human life, especially the lives of weaker people who are thrown out of society . Only respect for life can constitute the foundation and guarantee of the most important, most necessary for society values, such as democracy and peace ” [3] . |
Notes
- ↑ Evangelium Vitae, 3
- ↑ Evangelium Vitae, 12
- ↑ Evangelium Vitae, 101