Page 8 - Michael 2024 May

u for Benedict XVI recognized that “the world’s wealth sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral
is growing in absolute terms, but inequalities are on sense, which is becoming more and more incapable
the increase. In rich countries, new sectors of society of distinguishing between good and evil, even when
are succumbing to poverty and new forms of poverty the fundamental right to life is at stake. Given such
are emerging. In poorer areas, some groups enjoy a a grave situation, we need now more than ever to
sort of ‘super-development’ of a wasteful and con- have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to
sumerist kind, which forms an unacceptable contrast call things by their proper name, without yielding to
with the ongoing situations of dehumanizing dep- convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-
rivation.” The “‘scandal of glaring inequalities’ con- deception. In this regard, the reproach of the Prophet
tinues,” (Caritas in veritate, no. 22) where the dignity is extremely straightforward: ‘Woe to those who call
of the poor is doubly denied because of the lack of evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light
resources available to meet their basic needs and the and light for darkness’ (Is. 5:20).
indifference shown toward them by their neighbors. Especially in the case of abortion, there is a wide-
War spread use of ambiguous terminology, such as ‘inter-

Another tragedy that denies human dignity, both ruption of pregnancy,’ which tends to hide abortion’s
in the past and today, is war: “War, terrorist attacks, true nature and to attenuate its seriousness in public
racial or religious persecution, and many other af- opinion. Perhaps this linguistic phenomenon is itself
fronts to human dignity […] ‘have become so com- a symptom of an uneasiness of conscience. But no
mon as to constitute a real ‘third world war’ fought word has the power to change the reality of things:
piecemeal.’” (Pope Francis, Message for the 2016 procured abortion is the deliberate and direct kill-
World Day of Peace): ing, by whatever means it is carried out, of a human
being in the initial phase of his or her existence, ex-
“While reaffirming the inalienable right to self-de- tending from conception to birth. (Saint John Paul
fense and the responsibility to protect those whose II, Evangelium vitae, no. 58.)
lives are threatened, we must acknowledge that war
is always a ‘defeat of humanity.’ No war is worth the Unborn children are, thus, “the most defense-
tears of a mother who has seen her child mutilated less and innocent among us. Nowadays, efforts are
or killed; no war is worth the loss of the life of even made to deny them their human dignity and to do
one human being, a sacred being created in the im- with them whatever one pleases, taking their lives
age and likeness of the Creator; no war is worth and passing laws preventing anyone from standing
the poisoning of our common home; and no war is in the way of this.” (Pope Francis, Apost. Exhortation
worth the despair of those who are forced to leave Evangelii gaudium, no. 213.)
their homeland and are deprived, from one moment Surrogacy
to the next, of their home and all the family, friend- The Church also takes a stand against the prac-
ship, social and cultural ties that have been built up, tice of surrogacy, through which the immensely
sometimes over generations.” worthy child becomes a mere object. On this point,
Abortion Pope Francis’s words have a singular clarity: “The
path to peace calls for respect for life, for every hu-
The Church consistently reminds us that “the
dignity of every human being has an intrinsic char- man life, starting with the life of the unborn child in
acter and is valid from the moment of conception the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or
until natural death. It is precisely the affirmation of turned into an object of trafficking. In this regard, I
such dignity that is the inalienable prerequisite for deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate
the protection of a personal and social existence, motherhood, which represents a grave violation of
and also the necessary condition for fraternity and the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the
social friendship to be realized among all the peoples exploitation of situations of the mother’s material
of the earth.” On account of the intangible value of needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of
human life, the Church’s magisterium has always a commercial contract. Consequently, I express my
spoken out against abortion. In this regard, Pope St. hope for an effort by the international community to
John Paul II writes: prohibit this practice universally. (Address to Mem-
bers of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy
“Among all the crimes which can be committed See, January 8, 2024.)
against life, procured abortion has characteristics
making it particularly serious and deplorable. […] First and foremost, the practice of surrogacy
But today, in many people’s consciences, the per- violates the dignity of the child. Indeed, every child
ception of its gravity has become progressively ob- possesses an intangible dignity that is clearly ex-
scured. The acceptance of abortion in the popular pressed—albeit in a unique and differentiated way—
mind, in behavior, and even in law itself is a telling at every stage of his or her life: from the moment
of conception, at birth, growing up as a boy or girl,

8 MICHAEL May/June/July 2024 www.michaeljournal.org