Gospel of Life
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Transcript of Gospel of Life
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ENCYCLICAL LETTER:
EVANGELIUM VITAE
• ON THE VALUE ANDINVIOLABILITY OFHUMAN LIFE
• POPE JOHN PAUL II
• Given in Rome, ataint Pete!"#, on $%Ma!&', t'e o(emnit)o* t'e Ann+n&iation o*
t'e Lo!, -..%/
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The Gospel of Life, n.1
• The ‘Gospel of Life’ is at the heart of
Jesus’ message.
•It is “good news” to all people.
• It is the irth of a !hild "Jesus# whi!h
heralds sal$ation.
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The Gospel of Life, n.1
• %hen he presents the heart of his redempti$emission, Jesus sa&s' (I !ame that the& ma& ha$elife, and ha$e it aundantl&( "John 1)'1)#.
• In truth, he is referring to that (new( and(eternal( life whi!h !onsists in !ommunion withthe *ather, to whi!h e$er& person is freel& !alledin the +on & the power of the +an!tif&ing +pirit.
• It is pre!isel& in this (life( that all the aspe!tsand stages of human life a!hie$e their fullsignifi!an!e.
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The Gospel of Life, n.
• -uman eings are !alled to a fullness of life
whi!h far e!eeds the dimensions of earthl&
eisten!e, e!ause it !onsists in sharing the
$er& life of God.• Life on earth remains a #a&!e !ea(it) entrusted
to us, to e preser$ed with a sense of
responsiilit& and rought to perfe!tion in lo$e
and in the gift of oursel$es to God and to our
rothers and sisters.
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The Gospel of Life, n.
• The Gospel of life has a profound and persuasi$e e!hoin the heart of e$er& person//elie$er and non/elie$erali0e.
• $en in the midst of diffi!ulties and un!ertainties, e$er&
person sin!erel& open to truth and goodness !an, & thelight of reason and the hidden a!tion of gra!e, !ome tore!ogni2e in the natural law written in the heart "!f.3omans '14/15# the sa!red $alue of human life from its$er& eginning until its end, and !an affirm the right ofe$er& human eing to ha$e this primar& good respe!ted
to the highest degree.• 6pon the re!ognition of this right, e$er& human
!ommunit& and the politi!al !ommunit& itself arefounded.
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The Gospel of Life, n.
• In a spe!ial wa&, elie$ers in 7hrist must defendand promote this right, e!ause'
• (8& his in!arnation the +on of God has united
himself in some fashion with e$er& humaneing(. 9G:+ ;
• The In!arnation re$eals to humanit& not onl& theoundless lo$e of God who (so lo$ed the world
that he ga$e his onl& +on( "John
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The Gospel of Life, n.<There are new threats to human life'
%hate$er is opposed to lifeitself, su!h as'
• an& t&pe of murder
• Geno!ide
• >ortion• uthanasia
• willful self/destru!tion
%hate$er $iolates the integrit&of the human person, su!h as'
• ?utilation• torments infli!ted on od& ormind
• attempts to !oer!e the will itself
%hate$er insults humandignit&, su!h as'
• suhuman li$ing !onditions
• aritrar& imprisonment
• @eportation• +la$er&
• Arostitution
• the selling of women and!hildren
• disgra!eful wor0ing !onditions,where people are treated asmere instruments of gainrather than as free andresponsile persons
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The Gospel of Life, n.4
• > new !ultural !limate is de$eloping andta0ing hold, 9in; whi!h B road se!tors ofpuli! opinion Custif& !ertain !rimes
against life in the name of the rights ofindi$idual freedom.
• >ll this is !ausing a profound !hange in
the wa& in whi!h life and relationshipsetween people are !onsidered, espe!iall&in regard to the medi!al profession.
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The Gospel of Life, n.4
The end result of this is tragi!'
• not onl& is the fa!t of the destru!tion of so man&
human li$es still to e orn or in their final stage
etremel& gra$e and disturing• !ons!ien!e itself, dar0ened as it were & su!h
widespread !onditioning, is finding it in!reasingl&
diffi!ult to distinguish etween good and e$il in
what !on!erns the asi! $alue of human life.
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The Gospel of Life, n.5
(Just as a !entur& ago it was the wor0ing !lasses whi!hwere oppressed in their fundamental rights, and the7hur!h $er& !ourageousl& !ame to their defense &pro!laiming the sa!rosan!t rights of the wor0er as a
person 9in 3erum Do$arum;, so now, when another!ategor& of persons is eing oppressed in thefundamental right to life, the 7hur!h feels in dut& oundto spea0 out with the same !ourage on ehalf of thosewho ha$e no $oi!e. -ers is alwa&s the e$angeli!al !r& in
defense of the worldEs poor, those who are threatenedand despised and whose human rights are $iolated(.
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The Gospel of Life, n.=
To all the memers of the 7hur!h, t'e 0eo0(e o*
(i*e an *o! (i*e, I ma0e this most urgent appeal'
• that together we ma& offer this world of ours new
signs of hope• wor0 to ensure that Custi!e and solidarit& will
in!rease
• and that a new !ulture of human life will eaffirmed, for the uilding of an authenti!
!i$ili2ation of truth and lo$e.
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
• (7ain rose up against his rother >el, and 0illed him("Genesis 4'F#' the roots of $iolen!e against life
• (%hat ha$e &ou done( "Genesis 4'1)#'
the e!lipse of the $alue of life
• (>m I m& rotherEs 0eeper( "Genesis 4'H#'
a per$erse idea of freedom
• (>nd from &our fa!e I shall e hidden( "Genesis 4'14#'the e!lipse of the sense of God and of man
• (ou ha$e !ome to the sprin0led lood( "!f.-erews1', 4#'
signs of hope and in$itation to !ommitment
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
Threats to Life'
%hat are the&
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
• +ome threats !ome from nature itself, ut
the& are made worse & the !ulpale
indifferen!e and negligen!e of those who
!ould in some !ases remed& them.
• thers are the result of situations of
$iolen!e, hatred and !onfli!ting interests,
whi!h lead people to atta!0 others throughmurder, war, slaughter and geno!ide.
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
Threats to Life• $iolen!e espe!iall& against !hildren
• po$ert&, malnutrition and hunger e!ause of an unCustdistriution of resour!es etween peoples and etweenso!ial !lasses
• the $iolen!e inherent not onl& in wars as su!h ut in thes!andalous arms trade
• re!0less tampering with the worldEs e!ologi!al alan!e
• the !riminal spread of drugs
• the promotion of !ertain 0inds of seual a!ti$it& whi!h,esides eing morall& una!!eptale, also in$ol$e gra$eris0s to life
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
Threats to Life• -ere though we shall !on!entrate parti!ular attention on
another !ategor& of atta!0s, affe!ting life in its earliestand in its final stages
• These atta!0s tend no longer to e !onsidered as
(!rimes(K paradoi!all& the& assume the nature of(rights(,
• +u!h atta!0s stri0e human life at the time of its greatestfrailt&, when it la!0s an& means of self/defense.
• Those atta!0s are !arried out in the $er& heart of andwith the !ompli!it& of the famil&//the famil& whi!h & itsnature is !alled to e the (san!tuar& of life(.
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
?an& 0inds of diffi!ulties
• indi$iduals, !ouples and families are often left
alone with their prolems
• situations of a!ute po$ert&, aniet& or frustration
• the struggle to ma0e ends meet
• the presen!e of unearale pain
• instan!es of $iolen!e, espe!iall& against women
B ma0e the !hoi!e to defend and promote lifeso demanding as sometimes to rea!h the point
of heroism.
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1
> “+tru!ture of +in”
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The Gospel of Life
> “+tru!ture of +in”This realit& is !hara!teri2ed & the emergen!e of a !ulture whi!h'
• denies solidarit&• e!essi$el& !on!erned with effi!ien!&• a war of the powerful against the wea0• a life whi!h would reuire greater a!!eptan!e, lo$e and !are is
!onsidered useless, or held to e an intolerale urden• > person who, e!ause of illness or handi!ap !ompromises the
well/eing or life/st&le of those who are more fa$ored tends to eloo0ed upon as an enem& to e resisted or eliminated.
> 0ind of (!onspira!& against life( is unleashed. This !onspira!&in$ol$es not onl& inivi+a(# in their personal, famil& or grouprelationships, ut goes far e&ond, to the point of damaging anddistorting, at the international le$el, !e(ation# etween peoples and+tates.
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The Gospel of Life, 7hapter 1 >ortion !onne!ted to the
“7ontra!epti$e ?entalit&”
7ontra!eption and aortion are often !losel& !onne!ted,as fruits of the same tree.
+u!h pra!ti!es are rooted in a hedonisti! mentalit&'
• unwilling to a!!ept responsiilit& in matters of seualit&
• a self/!entered !on!ept of freedom
• regards pro!reation as an osta!le to personalfulfillment.
• The life whi!h !ould result from a seual en!ounter thus
e!omes an enem& to e a$oided at all !osts• >ortion e!omes the onl& possile de!isi$e response to
failed !ontra!eption.
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The Gospel of LifeTe!hniues of >rtifi!ial 3eprodu!tion
Marious te!hniues of artifi!ial reprodu!tion are morall& una!!eptale, e!ause'• The& separate pro!reation from the full& human !ontet of the !onCugal a!t• The emr&o is eposed to the ris0 of death• +o/!alled (spare emr&os( are destro&ed or used for resear!h
Arenatal diagnosis'
• >!!eptale if !arried out in order to identif& the medi!al treatment whi!h ma& eneeded & the !hild in the wom
• Dot a!!eptale if it is !onne!ted to a de!ision to pro!ure an aortion
Deonatal 7are• +ometimes the most asi! !are, e$en nourishment, is denied to aies orn with
serious handi!aps or illnesses.
uthanasia• Threats to the @&ing or terminall& ill, or elderl&
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The Gospel of LifeThe “7ulture of @eath” and -uman 3ights
There are man& de!larations of human rights, and a growing moralsensiti$it& to the $alue and dignit& of e$er& human eing, ut on theother hand, widespread atta!0s on human life
• These atta!0s represent a i!e&t t'!eat to t'e enti!e &+(t+!e o*
'+man !i2't#.• It is a threat !apale of Ceopardi2ing the $er& meaning of demo!rati!!oeisten!e.
• %e need to unmas0 the selfishness of the ri!h !ountries whi!he!lude poorer !ountries from a!!ess to de$elopment or ma0e su!ha!!ess dependent on aritrar& prohiitions against pro!reation
• %e need to uestion the $er& e!onomi! models often adopted &+tates whi!h !ause and aggra$ate situations of inCusti!e and$iolen!e in whi!h the life of whole peoples is degraded
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The Gospel of Life%hat is at the root of this !ontradi!tion
> mentalit& whi!h !arries the !on!ept of suCe!ti$it& to anetreme'
• It re!ogni2es as a suCe!t of rights onl& the person whoenCo&s full or at least in!ipient autonom&
• uates personal dignit& with the !apa!it& for $eral andepli!it !ommuni!ation
• > notion of freedom whi!h ealts the isolated indi$idual inan asolute wa&, and gi$es no pla!e to solidarit&, to
openness to others and ser$i!e of them, whi!h ends up& e!oming the freedom of (the strong( against thewea0 who ha$e no !hoi!e ut to sumit.
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The Gospel of Life
*reedom and Truth
• *reedom negates and destro&s itself, ande!omes a fa!tor leading to the destru!tion ofothers, when it no longer re!ogni2es its essentiallin0 with the truth.
• %hen freedom, out of a desire to eman!ipateitself from all forms of tradition and authorit&,shuts out e$iden!e of an oCe!ti$e and uni$ersaltruth, then the person ends up no longer ta0ing
as the point of referen!e for his own !hoi!es thetruth aout good and e$il, ut onl& his suCe!ti$eand !hangeale opinion or, indeed, his selfishinterest and whim.
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The Gospel of Life > distorted idea of *reedom
This $iew of freedom seriousl& distorts life inso!iet&. If the promotion of the self is understoodin terms of asolute autonom&'
• Aeople rea!h the point of reCe!ting one another.$er&one else is !onsidered an enem& fromwhom one has to defend oneself.
• +o!iet& e!omes a mass of indi$iduals pla!edside & side, ut without an& mutual onds.
• a!h one wishes to assert himself independentl&of the other and in fa!t intends to ma0e his owninterests pre$ail
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The Gospel of Life, n.<
• The e!lipse of the sense of God and of man ine$ital& leads to apra!ti!al materialism, whi!h reeds
• Indi$idualism• utilitarianism• hedonism.
The $alues of 1ein2 are repla!ed & those of 'avin2.
The so/!alled (ualit& of life( is interpreted as'• e!onomi! effi!ien!&
• inordinate !onsumerism• ph&si!al eaut&• pleasure
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The Gospel of Life
The notion of “The 8od&”• %ithin this same !ultural !limate, the od& is no longer
per!ei$ed as a sign and pla!e of relations with others,with God and with the world. It is redu!ed to purematerialit&, to e used a!!ording to the !riteria of
pleasure and effi!ien!&.• +eualit& too is depersonali2ed and eploited' from eing
the sign, pla!e and language of lo$e, that is, of the gift ofself and a!!eptan!e of another, it e!omes theinstrument for self/assertion and the selfish satisfa!tion
of personal desires and instin!ts.• The two meanings, uniti$e and pro!reati$e, inherent in
the nature of the !onCugal a!t, are artifi!iall& separated.
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The Gospel of Life
+igns of -ope, n.=• %e don’t want to gi$e a one/sided pi!ture, whi!h !ould lead to
dis!ouragement.• 6nfortunatel& it is often hard to see these positi$e signs, e!ause
the& are negle!ted in the media.• et, there are man& initiati$es to help and support people who are
wea0 and defenseless• There are man& married !ouples who are read& to a!!ept !hildrenas (the supreme gift of marriage“
• There are man& families willing to a!!ept aandoned !hildren, o&sand girls and teenagers in diffi!ult&, handi!apped persons, elderl&men and women who ha$e een left alone.
• ?an& institutions offer moral and material support to mothers whoare in diffi!ult& and are tempted to ha$e re!ourse to aortion.
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The Gospel of Life+igns of -ope in -ealth 7are, n.=
• Treatments whi!h were on!e in!on!ei$ale aretoda& eing de$eloped for the unorn, thesuffering and those in terminal stage of si!0ness.
• Marious agen!ies are ringing the enefits ofad$an!ed medi!ine to !ountries most affli!ted &po$ert& and endemi! diseases.
• >sso!iations of ph&si!ians are eing organi2edto ring ui!0 relief to peoples affe!ted &
natural disasters, epidemi!s or wars.• There are signs of a growing solidarit& among
peoples
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The Gospel of Life?ore +igns of -ope, n.N
• > a new sensiti$it& e$er more opposed to war • *inding effe!ti$e ut (non/$iolent( means to
!ounter the armed aggressor.•
> growing puli! opposition to the death penalt&• Growing attention eing paid to the ualit& of lifeand to e!olog&
• ?ore refle!tion and dialogue//etween elie$ersand non/elie$ers, as well as etween followersof different religions//on ethi!al prolems,in!luding fundamental issues pertaining tohuman life.
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The Gospel of Life
“7hoose Life”, n.F• ?osesE in$itation rings out loud and !lear' (+ee, I ha$e
set efore &ou this da& life and good, death and e$il.... Iha$e set efore &ou life and death, lessing and !urseKtherefore !hoose life, that &ou and &our des!endants
ma& li$e( "@t
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The Gospel of Life*urther 3eading
Re&ommenation# 1) Jim H)ne# *o! *+!t'e! !eain2
F!om Common D!eam#:
• 3T'e 4a! on Lan2+a2e3 & 7hris -edges, whi!h is !riti!al of the use of language inthe media,
• 'tt0:55666/&ommon!eam#/o!25vie65$77.57.5$8
• 3B+((et Ma9e!# Can"t ee0 U0 4it' Deman3 & ?ar& *oster,
• 'tt0:55666/&ommon!eam#/o!25'ea(ine5$77.57.5$;
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The Gospel of Life*urther 3eading
• F!om Con#i#tent Li*e:
• T'e Im0a&t o* t'e A1o!tion De1ate on Pea&e Movement Goa(#
• http'OOwww.!onsistent/life.orgOaortionpa!ifist.pdf
• T'e Fai(e E=0e!iment < A1o!tion an 4omen"# Ri2't#, Pove!t)
an Ra&i#m
• http'OOwww.!onsistent/life.orgOfailedeperiment.pdf
• T'e Im0a&t o* t'e A1o!tion De1ate on Pea&e Movement Goa(#
• http'OOwww.!onsistent/life.orgOimpa!t.pdf