The Gospel of Life III

Details: 28 September 2012

In chapter one of his encyclical "The Gospel of Life," Pope John Paul II compares the origin of violence in the world (Cain killing Abel) to "present-day threats to human life." In particular he focuses on abortion and euthanasia "which present new characteristics with respect to the past and which raise questions of extraordinary seriousness."

Pope John Paul then addresses the question of "how did such a situation come about?" First, the Pope cites a "profound crisis of culture" marked by "widespread moral uncertainty" which "makes it increasingly difficult to grasp clearly the meaning of what man is, the meaning of his rights and his duties."

Second, Pope John Paul cites "existential and interpersonal difficulties, made worse by the complexity of a society in which individuals, couples and families are often left alone with their problems." But John Paul digs even deeper to unearth the deepest roots of what he calls a "veritable structure of sin."

This structure of sin is "characterized by the emergence of a culture which denies solidarity and in many cases takes the form of a veritable ‘culture of death.’ This culture is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency.

"Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: A life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected… A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or lifestyle of those who are more favored tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated."

John Paul II explains in more detail the roots of the culture of death. One root is a distorted notion of freedom characterized by individualism, materialism and relativism. Individualism causes people to be self-centered and to disregard our responsibility to care about, and for, our neighbor. Individualism causes us to view other people and their needs as burdens or obstacles to our freedom rather than as opportunities for us to demonstrate (and receive) authentic love.

Relativism is the denial of objective truth. "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," John Paul says. "In this way, any reference to common values and to a truth absolutely binding on everyone is lost… At that point, everything is negotiable, everything is open to bargaining; even the first of the fundamental rights, the right to life."

Materialism values possessions over people. If we are driven by the pursuit of material possessions, then anything or anyone who gets in the way of this pursuit is viewed as an obstacle or burden.

It is easy to see how these roots of the culture of death can have a significant impact on how we view other people. Each of them tends to cause us to view other people as problems to be solved or eliminated rather than as opportunities for solidarity and love.

"In seeking the deepest roots of the struggle between the ‘culture of life’ and the ‘culture of death,’ " John Paul says, "we cannot restrict ourselves to the perverse idea of freedom mentioned above. We have to go to the heart of the tragedy being experienced by modern man: the eclipse of the sense of God and of man, typical of a social and cultural climate dominated by secularism…."

"Those who allow themselves to be influenced by this climate easily fall into a sad vicious circle: when the sense of God is lost, there is also a tendency to lose the sense of man, of his dignity and his life; in turn, the systematic violation of the moral law, especially in the serious matter of respect for human life and its dignity, produces a kind of progressive darkening of the capacity to discern God’s living and saving presence."

In other words, if our relationship with, or knowledge of, our Creator is weak, then our understanding and appreciation of the value and meaning of human life created in His image is also weak. And if we don’t understand and appreciate the value and meaning of human life we are more likely to violate its dignity (i.e. sin), which, like all sin, separates us from God. This is what John Paul means by a "sad vicious circle."

You can contact Greg at The Nebraska Catholic Conference, 215 Centennial Mall South Suite 310, Lincoln, NE 68508; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.