80. 38. 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. evangelium vitae addressed by the supreme pontiff pope john paul ii to all the bishops, priests, and deacons men and women religious lay faithful and all people of good will on the value and inviolability of human life. Teachers, catechists and theologians have the task of emphasizing the anthropological reasons upon which respect for every human life is based. As Saint Ambrose writes: "The arrival of Mary and the blessings of the Lord's presence are also speedily declared ... Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice; but John was the first to expe- rience grace. 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). All the same, "it is not right to deprive the dying person of consciousness without a serious reason": 80 as they approach death people ought to be able to satisfy their moral and family duties, and above all they ought to be able to prepare in a fully conscious way for their definitive meeting with God. Consequently, laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion or euthanasia are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life proper to every individual; they thus deny the equality of everyone before the law. 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. Medical science, thanks to the committed efforts of researchers and practitioners, continues in its efforts to discover ever more effective remedies: treatments which were once inconceivable but which now offer much promise for the future are today being developed for the unborn, the suffering and those in an acute or terminal stage of sickness. The mission of Jesus, with the many healings he performed, shows God's great concern even for man's bodily life. In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to "take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law, or vote for it".98. Man's life comes from God; it is his gift, his image and imprint, a sharing in his breath of life. At the root of every act of violence against one's neighbour there is a concession to the "thinking" of the evil one, the one who "was a murderer from the beginning" (Jn 8:44). This was and still is the case, when all kinds of ideologies try to justify and disguise the most atrocious crimes against human beings. The cultural and religious context of the Bible is in no way touched by such temptations; indeed, in that context the wisdom and experience of the elderly are recognized as a unique source of enrichment for the family and for society. Many different factors have to be taken into account. O death, where is your sting?' To all the members of the Church, the people of life and for life, I make this most urgent appeal, that together we may offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilization of truth and love. Like the first fratricide, every murder is a violation of the "spiritual" kinship uniting mankind in one great family, 11 in which all share the same fundamental good: equal personal dignity. 73. "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Gen 4:10). It is true that in many cases contraception and even abortion are practised under the pressure of real- life difficulties, which nonetheless can never exonerate from striving to observe God's law fully. Such an attitude is shameful and utterly reprehensible, since it presumes to measure the value of a human life only within the parameters of "normality" and physical well-being, thus opening the way to legitimizing infanticide and euthanasia as well. In modern medicine, increased attention is being given to what are called "methods of palliative care", which seek to make suffering more bearable in the final stages of illness and to ensure that the patient is supported and accompanied in his or her ordeal. From being the "garden of Eden" (Gen 2:15), a place of plenty, of harmonious interpersonal relationships and of friendship with God, the earth becomes "the land of Nod" (Gen 4:16), a place of scarcity, loneliness and separation from God. Jesus replied, "If you would enter life, keep the commandments" (Mt 19:17). This question arises in different ways in different parts of the world. The height of this love is to pray for one's enemy. "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. And it is pre- cisely here that the paradoxical mystery of the merciful justice of God is shown forth. Only those who recognize that their life is marked by the evil of sin can discover in an encounter with Jesus the Saviour the truth and the authenticity of their own existence. 102. The issue of life and its defence and promotion is not a concern of Christians alone. Enclosed in the narrow horizon of his physical nature, he is somehow reduced to being "a thing", and no longer grasps the "transcendent" character of his "existence as man". Rev 5:1-10) and proclaims, in time and beyond, the power of life over death. Ex 1:7-22). We must also mention the mentality which tends to equate personal dignity with the capacity for verbal and explicit, or at least perceptible, communication. cf . 87 This was the experience of Saint Paul, which every person who suffers is called to relive: "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church" (Col 1:24). 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. At the same time, the Church's experience of motherhood leads to a most profound understanding of Mary's experience as the incomparable model of how life should be welcomed and cared for. For this to happen, we need first of all to foster, in ourselves and in others, a contemplative outlook. 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. There is an even more profound aspect which needs to be emphasized: freedom negates and destroys itself, and becomes a factor leading to the destruction of others, when it no longer recognizes and respects its essential link with the truth. 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. God alone has the power over life and death: "It is I who bring both death and life" (Dt 32:39; cf. Gen 3:5). 6. 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. 49. "A great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun" (Rev 12:1): the motherhood of Mary and of the Church. These people are very often isolated by their families and by society, which are organized almost exclusively on the basis of criteria of productive efficiency, according to which a hopelessly impaired life no longer has any value. Only respect for life can be the foundation and guarantee of the most precious and essential goods of society, such as democracy and peace. Evangelium vitae (Ecclesiastical Latin: [ɛ.vanˈd͡ʒɛː.li.um ˈvi.tɛ]) translated in English to "The Gospel of Life", is a papal encyclical promulgated on 25 March 1995 by Pope John Paul II.It deals with issues pertaining to the sanctity of human life, including murder, abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment, reaffirming the Church's stances on said issues in a way generally . 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. As a result man not only deforms the image of God in his own person, but is tempted to offences against it in others as well, replacing relationships of communion by attitudes of distrust, indifference, hostility and even murderous hatred. " (Jn 19:26). In addition to the ancient scourges of poverty, hunger, endemic diseases, violence and war, new threats are emerging on an alarmingly vast scale. Threats which are no less serious hang over the incurably ill and the dying. La profética encíclica papal Evangelium vitae fue escrita por el papa Juan Pablo II en 1995 para reafirmar el valor y la inviolabilidad de cada vida humana y para instar a todas las personas a respetar, proteger, amar cada vida humana y servirla. In effect, signs which point to this victory are not lacking in our societies and cultures, strongly marked though they are by the "culture of death". In this contrast between threats and insecurity on the one hand and the power of God's gift on the other, there shines forth all the more clearly the glory which radiates from the house at Nazareth and from the manger at Bethlehem: this life which is born is salvation for all humanity (cf. TLI wants to facilitate that process, and get you started in a new path to greatness. When the people look for ways of living which ignore God's plan, it is the Prophets in particular who forcefully remind them that the Lord alone is the authentic source of life. 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. This is what is happening also at the level of politics and government: the original and inalienable right to life is questioned or denied on the basis of a parliamentary vote or the will of one part of the people-even if it is the majority. How can these repeated affirmations of principle be reconciled with the continual increase and widespread justification of attacks on human life? March 25 marks the anniversary of the papal encyclical Evangelium vitae ( The Gospel of Life ). 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. The eclipse of the sense of God and of man inevitably leads to a practical materialism, which breeds individualism, utilitarianism and hedonism. Cain is convinced that his sin will not obtain pardon from the Lord and that his inescapable destiny will be to have to "hide his face" from him. At such times the People of God, and this includes every believer, is called to profess with humility and courage its faith in Jesus Christ, "the Word of life" (1 Jn 1:1). When, in accordance with their principles, such movements act resolutely, but without resorting to violence, they promote a wider and more profound consciousness of the value of life, and evoke and bring about a more determined commitment to its defence. It gives rise to amazement and gratitude in the person graced with freedom, and it asks to be welcomed, preserved and esteemed, with a deep sense of responsibility. They are the radiant manifestation of the highest degree of love, which is to give one's life for the person loved (cf. To concur with the intention of another person to commit suicide and to help in carrying it out through so-called "assisted suicide" means to cooperate in, and at times to be the actual perpetrator of, an injustice which can never be excused, even if it is requested. "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29): civil law and the moral law. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life even in its temporal phase. The "no" which they unconditionally require makes clear the absolute limit beneath which free individuals cannot lower themselves. The life which God gives man is quite different from the life of all other living creatures, inasmuch as man, although formed from the dust of the earth (cf. Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. Especially significant is the reawakening of an ethical reflection on issues affecting 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. Each individual in fact has moral responsibility for the acts which he personally performs; no one can be exempted from this responsibility, and on the basis of it everyone will be judged by God himself (cf. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn 1:4-5). Man is not the master of life, nor is he the master of death. Once again we find ourselves before the temptation of Eden: to become like God who "knows good and evil" (cf. Pero como es necesario en nuestra "hoja de ruta" partir de un punto concreto, debemos comenzar afirmando que, como su propio nombre indica, la ideología . God's commandments teach us the way of life. The blood of every other human being who has been killed since Abel is also a voice raised to the Lord. Num 21:8-9) is renewed and brought to full and definitive perfection. The choice of euthanasia becomes more serious when it takes the form of a murder committed by others on a person who has in no way requested it and who has never consented to it. The criterion of personal dignity-which demands respect, generosity and service-is replaced by the criterion of efficiency, functionality and usefulness: others are considered not for what they "are", but for what they "have, do and produce". Before he dies, Jesus prays to the Father, asking forgiveness for his persecutors (cf. "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. God therefore is the sole Lord of this life: man cannot do with it as he wills. 29. A Celebration of "The Gospel of Life" with the Holy Father June 15-16, 2013 in Rome. (Jas 2:14): serving the Gospel of life. In the Old Testament, precisely in regard to threats against life, we find a significant example of resistance to the unjust command of those in authority. 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. To proclaim Jesus is itself to proclaim life. It is often claimed that the life of an unborn child or a seriously disabled person is only a relative good: according to a proportionalist approach, or one of sheer calculation, this good should be compared with and balanced against other goods. 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. John Paul II's magnificent tome on the sacredness of human life - Evangelium Vitae - The Gospel of Life - was released in Rome on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1995. It is true that the decision to have an abortion is often tragic and painful for the mother, insofar as the decision to rid herself of the fruit of conception is not made for purely selfish reasons or out of convenience, but out of a desire to protect certain important values such as her own health or a decent standard of living for the other members of the family. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Although "one must uphold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but rather are directed to its healing, the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival",74 it must nonetheless be stated that the use of human embryos or fetuses as an object of experimentation constitutes a crime against their dignity as human beings who have a right to the same respect owed to a child once born, just as to every person. 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. The New Testament gives many different examples of this. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live" (Dt 30:15, 19). 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. 74. They can say in the words of the Apostle John: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. 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. DU SOUVERAIN PONTIFE. Mt 7:12). The State is no longer the "common home" where all can live together on the basis of principles of fundamental equality, but is transformed into a tyrant State, which arrogates to itself the right to dispose of the life of the weakest and most defenceless members, from the unborn child to the elderly, in the name of a public interest which is really nothing but the interest of one part. Moreover, he confirmed with divine testimony what revelation proclaimed: that God is with us to free us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to life eternal".22. 83. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to . Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name" (Phil 2:8-9). In the background there is the profound crisis of culture, which generates scepticism in relation to the very foundations of knowledge and ethics, and which makes it increasingly difficult to grasp clearly the meaning of what man is, the meaning of his rights and his duties. 55. But despite their differences of nature and moral gravity, contraception and abortion are often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree. May you be able to stay ever apart, o children, from all these sins!". From this "source" he receives, in particular, the capacity to "accomplish" this truth perfectly (cf. Saint Paul emphasizes that "the commandment ... you shall not kill ... and any other commandment, are summed up in this phrase: ?You shall love your neighbour as yourself' " (Rom 13:9; cf. No está claro si el latín ha vuelto o si ha estado tan de moda durante cientos de años. In a special way, believers in Christ must defend and promote this right, aware as they are of the wonderful truth recalled by the Second Vatican Council: "By his incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every human being".2 This saving event reveals to humanity not only the boundless love of God who "so loved the world that he gave his only Son" (Jn 3:16), but also the incomparable value of every human person. In fact, it involves the rejection of love of self and the renunciation of the obligation of justice and charity towards one's neighbour, towards the communities to which one belongs, and towards society as a whole. Cain's killing of his brother at the very dawn of history is thus a sad witness of how evil spreads with amazing speed: man's revolt against God in the earthly paradise is followed by the deadly combat of man against man. 92. 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. The Gospel of life, proclaimed in the beginning when man was created in the image of God for a destiny of full and perfect life (cf. "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). Thus, a man and woman joined in matrimony become partners in a divine undertaking: through the act of procreation, God's gift is accepted and a new life opens to the future. "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves ?the creative action of God', and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God's plan for human beings is this, that they should "be conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom 8:29). 60. 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. In the same perspective there is evidence of a growing public opposition to the death penalty, even when such a penalty is seen as a kind of "legitimate defence" on the part of society. HOME; KWI. Gen 9:5-6). When it seemed doomed to extermination because of the threat of death hanging over all its newborn males (cf. There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life except in freedom. Phil 2:6-7). The chief concern of civil authorities must therefore be to ensure that these rights are recognized, respected, co-ordinated, defended and promoted, and that each individual is enabled to perform his duties more easily. Should we not question the very economic models often adopted by States which, also as a result of international pressures and forms of conditioning, cause and aggravate situations of injustice and violence in which the life of whole peoples is degraded and trampled upon? 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. We have been ransomed by the "Author of life" (Acts 3:15) at the price of his precious blood (cf. 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. Thus can he truly say: "He who follows me ... will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12). 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. Ps 103:3). 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. 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. 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. MORE RESULTS. The "giving up" of the spirit describes Jesus' death, a death like that of every other human being, but it also seems to allude to the "gift of the Spirit", by which Jesus ransoms us from death and opens before us a new life. (Gen 4:10): the eclipse of the value of life. Nothing helps us so much to face positively the conflict between death and life in which we are engaged as faith in the Son of God who became man and dwelt among men so "that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10). 45, 56. Lk 1:38). The life which Jesus promises and gives is "eternal" because it is a full participation in the life of the "Eternal One". The acceptance of abortion in the popular mind, in behaviour and even in law itself, is a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense, which is becoming more and more incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, even when the fundamental right to life is at stake. No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the Law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church. The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. 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?" Posted on Dec 8, 2014. By his words and actions Jesus further unveils the positive requirements of the commandment regarding the inviolability of life. The Prophets point an accusing finger at those who show contempt for life and violate people's rights: "They trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth" (Amos 2:7); "they have filled this place with the blood of innocents" (Jer 19:4). ibid . While public authority can sometimes choose not to put a stop to something which-were it prohibited- would cause more serious harm, 92 it can never presume to legitimize as a right of individuals-even if they are the majority of the members of society-an offence against other persons caused by the disregard of so fundamental a right as the right to life. can be interpreted: "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" The word of God frequently repeats the call to show care and respect, above all where life is undermined by sickness and old age. As the Apostle John reminds us: "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother" (1 Jn 3:11-12). But while the Prophets condemn offences against life, they are concerned above all to awaken hope for a new principle of life, capable of bringing about a renewed relationship with God and with others, and of opening up new and extraordinary possibilities for understanding and carrying out all the demands inherent in the Gospel of life. It is reduced to pure materiality: it is simply a complex of organs, functions and energies to be used according to the sole criteria of pleasure and efficiency. This cooperation can never be justified either by invoking respect for the freedom of others or by appealing to the fact that civil law permits it or requires it. The Sacraments make us sharers in divine life, and provide the spiritual strength necessary to experience life, suffering and death in their fullest meaning. Nature itself, from being "mater" (mother), is now reduced to being "matter", and is subjected to every kind of manipulation. Finally, the more radical views go so far as to maintain that in a modern and pluralistic society people should be allowed complete freedom to dispose of their own lives as well as of the lives of the unborn: it is asserted that it is not the task of the law to choose between different moral opinions, and still less can the law claim to impose one particular opinion to the detriment of others. But he only exercises this power in accordance with a plan of wisdom and love. Thus, in coming to know the value of its own existence as a people, Israel also grows in its perception of the meaning and value of life itself. In the name of what justice is the most unjust of discriminations practised: some individuals are held to be deserving of defence and others are denied that dignity?" At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child which is proclaimed as joyful news: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:10-11). He is punished: he will live in the wilderness and the desert. Mt 4:23-25) find in his words and actions a revelation of the great value of their lives and of how their hope of salvation is well-founded. This is clear once more from John XXIII's Encyclical: "Authority is a postulate of the moral order and derives from God. 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. The fullness of the Gospel message about life was prepared for in the Old Testament. 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. 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. Jesus' life is marked by uncertainty from the very moment of his birth. Everything in creation is ordered to man and everything is made subject to him: "Fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over ... every living thing" (1:28); this is God's command to the man and the woman. Acts 7:38) with which this commandment is bound up are not observed. $12.00 $ 12. Phil 3:10; 1 Pet 2:21) and more closely associated with his redemptive work on behalf of the Church and humanity. In the early afternoon of Good Friday, "there was darkness over the whole land ... while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two" (Lk 23:44, 45). Such choices cannot be redeemed by the goodness of any intention or of any consequence; they are irrevocably opposed to the bond between persons; they contradict the fundamental decision to direct one's life to God. In any event, the principle set forth in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church remains valid: "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority must limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person".48. 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. 52. 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. "Walk as children of light ... and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. But when God is forgotten the creature itself grows unintelligible".17 Man is no longer able to see himself as "mysteriously different" from other earthly creatures; he regards himself merely as one more living being, as an organism which, at most, has reached a very high stage of perfection. 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. Life is indelibly marked by a truth of its own. 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). Through the words, the actions and the very person of Jesus, man is given the possibility of "knowing" the complete truth concerning the value of human life. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. Indeed, from the moral standpoint, it is never licit to cooperate formally in evil. In this case it is force which becomes the criterion for choice and action in interpersonal relations and in social life. For us too Moses' invitation rings out loud and clear: "See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. Let us re-read together this biblical account which, despite its archaic structure and its extreme simplicity, has much to teach us. Jn 3:15; 6:40) because he hears from Jesus the only words which reveal and communicate to his existence the fullness of life. Human life finds itself most vulnerable when it enters the world and when it leaves the realm of time to embark upon eternity. It is clear that, for these purposes to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Furthermore, Christ's blood reveals to man that his greatness, and therefore his vocation, consists in the sincere gift of self. As part of the spiritual worship acceptable to God (cf. This new law also gives spirit and shape to the commandment "You shall not kill". The encyclical entitled "Evangelium Vitae," meaning "The Gospel of Life," was promulgated on 25 March 1995 by Pope John Paul II in Rome, Italy. God thus shows that he does not delight in the death of the living (cf. "Si crees que puedes ya estás a medio camino". Life is presented . 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. 97. Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, on 25 March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1995, the seventeenth of my Pontificate. It resounds in the moral conscience of everyone as an irrepressible echo of the original covenant of God the Creator with mankind. Gen 2:20). "Am I my brother's keeper?" "Nothing and no one can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Indeed, God alone is the source of that ?image and likeness' which is proper to the human being, as it was received at Creation. The commandment regarding the inviolability of human life reverberates at the heart of the "ten words" in the covenant of Sinai (cf. In transforming culture so that it supports life, women occupy a place, in thought and action, which is unique and decisive. Here we are faced with one of the more alarming symptoms of the "culture of death", which is advancing above all in prosperous societies, marked by an attitude of excessive preoccupation with efficiency and which sees the growing number of elderly and disabled people as intolerable and too burdensome. In the Paschal Mystery, Christ restores to you the gift you gave him. 40. In giving life to man, God demands that he love, respect and promote life. Lk 6:34-35). After all, life on earth is not an "ultimate" but a "penultimate" reality; even so, it remains a sacred reality entrusted to us, to be preserved with a sense of responsibility and brought to perfection in love and in the gift of ourselves to God and to our brothers and sisters. It is in being destined to life in its fullness, to "eternal life", that every person's earthly life acquires its full meaning. Thus Jeremiah writes: "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (2:13). The value at stake is one which every human being can grasp by the light of reason; thus it necessarily concerns everyone. 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. Ex 21:22; 22:20-26). Indeed "the blood is the life" (Dt 12:23), and life, especially human life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself. 107 Such an outlook arises from faith in the God of life, who has created every individual as a "wonder" (cf. 48. This does not in fact represent an illicit cooperation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects. Evengelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) Pope John Paul II, 1995. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. At another level, the roots of the contradiction between the solemn affirmation of human rights and their tragic denial in practice lies in a notion of freedom which exalts the isolated individual in an absolute way, and gives no place to solidarity, to openness to others and service of them. This doctrine, based upon that unwritten law which man, in the light of reason, finds in his own heart (cf. From this text the Church has taken the name of the "sins which cry to God for justice", and, first among them, she has included wilful murder. 30, By speaking of "a certain special participation" of man and woman in the "creative work" of God, the Council wishes to point out that having a child is an event which is deeply human and full of religious meaning, insofar as it involves both the spouses, who form "one flesh" (Gen 2:24), and God who makes himself present. Its "moral" value is not automatic, but depends on conformity to the moral law to which it, like every other form of human behaviour, must be subject: in other words, its morality depends on the morality of the ends which it pursues and of the means which it employs. Rom 5:12-21). 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. It is a question of giving our own existence a basic orientation and living the law of the Lord faithfully and consistently: "If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live ... therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days" (30:16,19-20). Consequently, on the Cross, he can say to him: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!" 65. Mt 25:14-30; Lk 19:12-27). The history of Israel shows how difficult it is to remain faithful to the Law of life which God has inscribed in human hearts and which he gave on Sinai to the people of the Covenant. "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them" (Lk 7:22). The "people of life" rejoices in being able to share its commitment with so many others. Unfortunately, this disturbing state of affairs, far from decreasing, is expanding: with the new prospects opened up by scientific and technological progress there arise new forms of attacks on the dignity of the human being. Apart from the fact that they are morally unacceptable, since they separate procreation from the fully human context of the conjugal act, 14 these techniques have a high rate of failure: not just failure in relation to fertilization but with regard to the subsequent development of the embryo, which is exposed to the risk of death, generally within a very short space of time. 45. A stranger is no longer a stranger for the person who mustbecome a neighbour to someone in need, to the point of accepting responsibility for his life, as the parable of the Good Samaritan shows so clearly (cf. "Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. As the Second Vatican Council teaches: "God himself who said, ?It is not good for man to be alone' (Gen 2:18) and ?who made man from the beginning male and female' (Mt 19:4), wished to share with man a certain special participation in his own creative work. On the contrary, people must be helped to understand their profound mystery in all its harsh reality. 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. The doctrine on the necessary conformity of civil law with the moral law is in continuity with the whole tradition of the Church. Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable. 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. 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 a question, above all, of the individual conscience, as it stands before God in its singleness and uniqueness. It is a matter first of all of dominion over the earth and over every living creature, as the Book of Wisdom makes clear: "O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy ... by your wisdom you have formed man, to have dominion over the creatures you have made, and rule the world in holiness and righteousness" (Wis 9:1, 2-3). Gen 1:28), man is ruler and lord not only over things but especially over himself, 39 and in a certain sense, over the life which he has received and which he is able to transmit through procreation, carried out with love and respect for God's plan. The ability to attain truth and freedom are human prerogatives inasmuch as man is created in the image of his Creator, God who is true and just (cf. At the same time, it is precisely this supernatural calling which highlights the relative character of each individual's earthly life. Gal 6:2). Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14), but at the same time it firmly warned that "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Life itself becomes a mere "thing", which man claims as his exclusive property, completely subject to his control and manipulation. The biblical text clearly shows the breadth and depth of the lordship which God bestows on man. 10. CARTA ENCÍCLICA EVANGELIUM VITAE: SOBRE EL VALOR Y EL CARÁCTER INVIOLABLE DE LA VIDA HUMANA (Spanish Edition) Spanish Edition | by San Juan Pablo II | Jun 3, 2019. Detached from this wider framework, the commandment is destined to become nothing more than an obligation imposed from without, and very soon we begin to look for its limits and try to find mitigating factors and exceptions. 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. This ancient narrative speaks of a divine breath which is breathed into man so that he may come to life: "The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Gen 2:7). This view of freedom leads to a serious distortion of life in society. This is a properly "ecclesial" responsibility, which requires concerted and generous action by all the members and by all sectors of the Christian community. 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. It is impossible to catalogue completely the vast array of threats to human life, so many are the forms, whether explicit or hidden, in which they appear today! This conspiracy involves not only individuals in their personal, family or group relationships, but goes far beyond, to the point of damaging and distorting, at the international level, relations between peoples and States. They are taking on vast proportions. The unconditional choice for life reaches its full religious and moral meaning when it flows from, is formed by and nourished by faith in Christ. "Causing death" can never be considered a form of medical treatment, even when the intention is solely to comply with the patient's request. So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (2:14-17). Rom 8:11). "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? The document focuses on right to life issues including abortion, birth control, and euthanasia . 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. As the Church contemplates Mary's motherhood, she discovers the meaning of her own motherhood and the way in which she is called to express it. In such situations, when death is clearly imminent and inevitable, one can in conscience "refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, so long as the normal care due to the sick person in similar cases is not interrupted".77 Certainly there is a moral obligation to care for oneself and to allow oneself to be cared for, but this duty must take account of concrete circumstances. These deeds strengthen the bases of the "civilization of love and life", without which the life of individuals and of society itself loses its most genuinely human quality. 31. "Walk as children of light" (Eph 5:8): bringing about a transformation of culture. When God is not acknowledged as God, the profound meaning of man is betrayed and communion between people is compromised.
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