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Evangelium Vitae Today how conservative forces are using the 1995 papal encyclical to reshape public policy in latin america By Juan Marco Vaggione o r e m o r y r n e h / s r e t u e r © Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico (L) gives a plate with an image representing the Holy Family to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone during the VI World Meeting of Families in Mexico City, Jan. 16, 2009. onservative catholic or so, the manner in which these activists women’s rights and reproductive rights activists have historically played work has been transformed, pushed in advocates have had in placing their a central role in shaping public large part by the Vatican. In large demands on national and global public policy in most Latin American measure, this transformation has been agendas. Far from retreating in the face Ccountries. In the last decade developed to counter the successes that of this onslaught, conservative religious activists have strategically adapted to the new context so as to continue influencing juan marco vaggione is a researcher at the Argentinean National Scientific and Technical public policy and legislation. What’s new Research Council and a professor of Sociology at the School of Law, National University of Córdoba. His main research interests are religion and politics in Latin America, especially as they impact on is not the content of their beliefs, which sexual and reproductive rights. He works closely with Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir in Argentina. continue to be strongly patriarchal and vol. xxxi—no. 3 2010 23 supportive of a very traditional social the encyclical also can be considered to ates a level of virulence that makes it impos - order, but rather the strategies and argu - be a political manifesto that laid out some sible for these new Catholic movements ments they use. of the key dimensions that constitute the to form a broad-based consensus on poli - The World Conference on Human new forms of Catholic activism pushed cies on sexuality. Simply stated, this is Rights (Vienna, 1993), the International by the Vatican and which have had signif - because “Evangelium Vitae” is not Conference on Population and Develop - icant impact in regions like Latin America. discussing a system of rights; rather, life ment (Cairo, 1994) and the Fourth World as a value is what is at issue. The campaign Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) a “culture of death ” for sexual and reproductive rights becomes saw sexual and reproductive health issues A general theme of the encyclical, which part of this “culture of death,” making it became part of international human rights permeates patriarchal Catholic activism, nonnegotiable. Not only is abortion agendas. The conferences distilled years is to label the movement for sexual and resisted, but any legal change that achieves of activism and mobilization so that sexu - reproductive health rights (never directly or makes a distinction between sexuality ality issues could enter the contemporary called that) as being part of a “culture of and reproduction is considered to be a global language on human rights. As such, death.” The encyclical affirms that: cultural change that must also be resisted. they were important moments in the devel - Thus, groups that favor sexual and repro - opment of these new forms of conserva - ductive rights, particularly feminists and tive Catholic activism since the legitimacy sexual diversity movements, are consid - attached to sexual and reproductive rights ered to be bearers of an ideology, which required a new response. The old argu - makes their demands lack any legitimacy. ments and strategies were unlikely to continue to be effective. The primary the “ngo-ification ” purpose of this article is to consider these of religious matters conferences as markers of a “new global Another interesting directive that the grammar” to which the most dogmatic encyclical makes is to Catholics in general Catholic entities, particularly the Vatican, to defend the “culture of life.” The o its representatives in the hierarchy and n encyclical maintains that “What is a m i its colleagues like Opus Dei (see box), l urgently called for is a general mobiliza - o s had to adapt and react. In so doing, they l tion of consciences and a united ethical a b i began to generate a new type of Catholic n effort to activate a great campaign in a / s activism that continues to be strongly patri - r support of life. All together, we must e t archal and which also tries novel ways of u build a new culture of life….” Faced with e r influencing public discussions without © the advance of feminism and those who becom ing any more flexible with regard Pope John Paul II (L) and former Chilean dictator support sexual diversity, the Vatican calls to the hierarchy’s dogma on sexuality. Augusto Pinochet look on in Antofagasta, Chile during on believers to take an active political a papal visit there in this April 1987 file photo. role, taking up a central theme that was encyclicals as political program important during the Second Vatican This situation, with its lights and Official hierarchal documents on the topics Council (1962-1965). What is new is the shadows, ought to make us all fully aware of family or sexuality are a combination centrality of sexual and reproductive that we are facing an enormous and of religious and political arguments. The rights to conceptualizing the public role dramatic clash between good and evil, boundaries are difficult to trace, but the of the faithful. The results are seen in death and life, the “culture of death” and encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” from March official documents and public speeches the “culture of life.” We find ourselves 1995 can be read as both a religious docu - by representatives of the Vatican and not only “faced with” but necessarily ment that captures and reconstructs the other members of the hierarchy calling “in the midst of” this conflict: we are all official doctrine of the Catholic hierarchy on the faithful to actively mobilize. involved and we all share in it, with the with regard to issues such as abortion, In accordance with this call, Pope John inescapable responsibility of choosing to and as a programmatic document that Paul II organized a series of meetings under be unconditionally pro-life. delineates the main political strategies the name of World Meeting of Families, proposed by the hierarchy for the new The political and legal demands of femi - an international opportunity to coordi - climate that was created by these inter - nism and the movement for sexual diver - nate agendas antithetical to sexual and national conferences. A central purpose sity are considered—by the hierarchy—to reproductive rights and attended by the of the encyclical was to reaffirm the offi - respond to a cultural ethos encompassed most conservative Catholic leaders and cial position of the hierarchy that abor - in the term “death.” The creation of this faithful. The first of these meetings took tion is both “serious and deplorable.” But dichotomy between life and death gener - place in October 1994 in Rome, with subse - 24 conscience evangelium vitae today quent ones every three years in different Opus Dei countries. (The latest was in Mexico in 2009 and the next will be in Milan in 2012.) This is an excerpt from a forthcoming publication from Catholics for Choice on In the opening speech for the first meeting, Opus Dei—one of the organizations that epitomizes the strategies outlined in Pope John Paul II referred explicitly to Juan Marco Vaggione’s article. the Cairo conference: “…a certain timeline tendency could be seen at the recent Cairo January 9, 1902—Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer is born in the town of Barbastro, conference on population and develop - Spain. ment as well as in other meetings held in October 2, 1928—Escrivá de Balaguer founds Opus Dei. past months. There have also been some February 14, 1930—Escrivá de Balaguer creates the women’s branch of Opus Dei. attempts in parliaments to change the February 14, 1943—The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, the branch of Opus Dei meaning of family, depriving it of its for priests, is founded. natural reference to marriage. They have October 17, 1952—The Universidad de Navarra is founded by Escrivá de Balaguer. shown how necessary the steps taken by June 26, 1975—Escrivá de Balaguer dies in Rome. the Church have been to defend the family February 2, 1978—The process of canonizing Escrivá de Balaguer begins. and its indispensable mission in society.” August 5, 1982—Pope John Paul II recognizes Opus Dei as a personal prelature. Among the various impacts of this type May 17, 1992—Beatification of Escrivá de Balaguer. of call, the “ -ification” of conserva - ngo April 20, 1994—Pope John Paul II names Javier Echevarría as Prelate of Opus Dei. tive Catholic activism stands out. The October 6, 2002—Escrivá de Balaguer is canonized in Rome. most integrationist sectors of Catholi - cism organize by seeking recognition as Opus Dei (Latin for “the Work of God”) is one of the most conservative orders in the nongovernmental organizations, and in Catholic church. Founded in Spain, Opus Dei is especially influential in Latin America this way are able to play an important because of the relationships it has cultivated in political and business circles. role for the hierarchy. At local, national Members and sympathizers of Opus Dei hold high-level positions in various govern - and supranational levels they intervene ments and it is one of the main forces supporting conservative activities in the in discussions on sexuality and repro - region. It vehemently opposes the promotion and provision of a wide range of duction as self-proclaimed “prolife” or sexual and reproductive health services.

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