20 years Since Another Great Encyclical

While Pope Francis’ new encyclical Laudato Si’ is enjoying wide publicity, few people are aware this year also marks the 20th anniversary of another powerfully prophetic social justice and peace encyclical: Evangelium Vitae(The Gospel of Life).

And what of the violence inherent not only in wars as such but in the scandalous arms trade, which spawns the many armed conflicts which stain our world with blood?

What of the spreading of death caused by reckless tampering with the world’s ecological balance, by the criminal spread of drugs, or by the promotion of certain kinds of sexual activity which, besides being morally unacceptable, also involve grave risks to life?

St John Paul continued: We shall concentrate particular attention on another category of attacks, affecting life in its earliest and in its final stages  Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimise. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection.

Then Pope John Paul tackled the death penalty. He said that due to improvements in the penal system, the need to execute a dangerous criminal in order to defend society was not necessary. Such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent, he wrote.

Many Catholics, as well as many other Christians, hold inconsistent opinions regarding the protection of life.

Some condemn abortion, but fail to oppose the mass murder of war which mostly kills innocent people. Others work to protect the environment while promoting the murder of unborn children through abortion as a distorted means to control population.

But all life issues are morally and logically linked. It’s what the Catholic Church refers to as the consistent ethic of life.

John Paul explains: 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.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to become neighbours to everyone (see 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 or near death  we have the opportunity to serve Jesus.

Pope John Paul quoted the fourth-century 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.

St John Paul concluded: What is urgently called for is a general mobilisation of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life, and added: The purpose of the Gospel, in fact, is to transform humanity from within and to make it new.