THE CULTURE OF LIFE: FOUNDATIONS AND DIMENSIONS PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH ASSEMBLY OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE Città del Vaticano, 1-4 Marzo 2001 Edited by: JUAN DE DJOS VIAL CORREA ELIO SGRECCIA LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA 2002 INTRODUCTION Presentation (Prof. JUAN DE DIOS VIAL CORREA E ELIO SGRECCIA) Discourse of the Holy Father JOHN PAUL II Final Communiqué CONTRIBUTION OF THE TASK-FORCE H.E. Msgr. JAVIER LOZANO BARRAGÁN, Man "image of God".Human life and health in the light of theology. Rev. Msgr. BRUNO MAGGIONI, God speaks about life.. Rev. Msgr. GIUSEPPE LORIZIO, Human dignity: the Christian view and the secularistic view. Dr. LUKE GORMALLY, Rev. Prof. MAURIZIO FAGGIONI, Life and forms of life.The relationship between biology and anthropology. Rev. Msgr. FIORENZO FACCHINI, Evolution, emergence and trascendence of man. H.E. Msgr. ELIO SGRECCIA - Prof. MARIA LUISA DI PIETRO, The life of the spirit in corporeity: person and personality. H.E. Msgr. ANDREAS LAUN, Natural Law. 1 Dr. VINCENZA MELE, For a personalistic ecology between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism. Rev. Msgr. MAURO COZZOLI, Natural law in the defense of life. The reasons for and limits of defending physical life. Prof. FRANCESCO D'AGOSTINO, Respect for life and law. Prof. GONZALO HERRANZ, The culture of life: an affirmative endeavour. Rev. Prof. TADEUSZ STYCZEN, To live means to thank: gratias ago, ergo sum. H.E. Msgr. FRANCISCO GIL HELLÍN, The mission of the family in the culture of life. Dr. CARLO CASINI, Unborn life: contexts and new forms of support. Prof. GIAMPIERO GAMALERI, The media and the culture of life. Prof. ADRIANO PESSINA, The culture of life and the technological mentality. Prof. JUAN DE DIOS VIAL CORREA, John Paul II, Pontiff of life.. 2 JUAN DE DIOS VIAL CORREA, ELIO SGRECCIA PRESENTATION The annual study sessions of the Pontifical Academy for Life, during these first seven years of activity, have developed a detailed reflection on specific points of the ethical-legal debate about the defence of human life: The Identity and the Status of the Human Embryo, The Human Genome, and The Dignity of the Dying Person. Scientific and Doctrinal Comment on the Encyclical 'Evangelium Vitae and the study of the relationship between the encyclical Evangelium Vitae and the Law, which is a retrospective examination of the legal situation in the various continents and countries of the world with respect to the legal protection of human life Five years after the Publication of the Encyclical 'Evangelium Vitae', have constituted a premise to these crucial subjects of the contemporary bioethical debate. These volumes (six in number) bear witness to this wide and detailed reflection and constitute a patrimony which has been appreciated by scholars, not least because of the large number of translations which have been made of most of these volumes. Indeed, the examples of evidence of the culture of death are before everybody's eyes and they have in themselves a massive level of visibility, but the premises for a culture of life, with regard to its philosophical and theological foundations, did not seem to us to have been subjected to a detailed and explicit examination. The question was, and is, relevant, if one wants to go on to an operational stage, involving, that is to say, the construction of a culture of life, as something which goes beyond the stage of the mere condemnation of spreading evil, which nonetheless exists and is threatening: Vince in bonum malum is the warning of Holy Scripture (Rom 12:21). In this historical and cultural approach is to be located the choice of the subject of the Seventh General Assembly: 'The Culture of Life: Foundations and Dimensions'. Employing the tried and tested method of the 'task force', which involved a high number of specialists (nineteen in number) in personal study and mutual and broad-ranging interaction carried out during the preparatory stage prior to the General Assembly itself, we achieved a survey which, or so we believe, dealt with the essential core points of the subject chosen for study. The various lesser related subjects such as the concept of 'the dignity of man', the theoretical and theological foundation of 'creation', the concept of corporeity, the definition of life and forms of life, natural law...were investigated by specialists and then discussed during the General Assembly. This volume also includes the contributions of theology and the approach of faith and includes papers which deal with subjects which have a critical interaction with contemporary culture such as ecology and the concept of the evolution of the various forms of life. The intention was to direct the reflection towards the ramifications of the culture of life within the contexts of the family and the mass media, as well as towards controversial subjects regarding the defence of unborn life and consequent sets of laws. The result of this examination is in the volume that we present here, a volume written by a number of authors, each one of whom is a specialist on the subject, but also a volume which is unified around a fundamental theme - the culture of life. This volume will be immediately published in two languages - English and Italian - with the idea that it can be a significant support for those who, in teaching, cultural debate, and pastoral action, will want to draw from it inspiration and material. 3 JOHN PAUL II DISCOURS TO THE MEMBERS It is always a great pleasure for me to meet you, distinguished members of the Pontifical Academy for Life. The reason today for this opportunity is your annual general assembly, which has brought you to Rome from various countries. I extend my cordial greetings to each of you, worthy friends who make up the family of this Academy which is so dear to me. I extend a particular and respectful greeting to your President, Prof. Juan de Dios Vial Correa, whom I thank for his kind words expressing your sentiments. I also greet the Vice-President, Bishop Elio Sgreccia, the members of the Executive Council, the staff and benefactors. You have chosen a topic of great interest as the theme for your assembly's reflection: "The Culture of Life: Foundations and Dimensions". Its very formulation already expresses your intention to focus on the positive and constructive aspect of the defence of human life. During these days you have been asking yourselves about the necessary foundations for promoting or revitalizing a culture of life, and with what elements to propose it to a society marked - as I recalled in my Encyclical Evangelium vitae - by an increasingly widespread and alarming culture of death (cf. nn. 7, 17). The best way to overcome and defeat the dangerous culture of death is to give firm foundations and clear content to a culture of life that will vigorously oppose it. Although right and necesssary, it is not enough merely to expose and denounce the lethal effects of the culture of death. Rather, the inner tissue of contemporary culture must be continually regenerated, culture being understood as a conscious mentality, as convictions and actions, as the social structures that support it. This reflection seems all the more valuable, if we consider that culture influences not only the behaviour of individuals but also legislative and political decisions, which in turn facilitate cultural trends which, unfortunately, often impede the authentic renewal of society. Culture, moreover, orients the strategies of scientific research, which today more than ever is able to offer powerful means that unfortunately are not always used for man's true good. On the contrary, at times research in many fields even seems to turn against man. Therefore, it is appropriate that you wished to clarify the foundations and dimensions of the culture of life. With this in mind, you stressed the great themes of creation, showing clearly how human life must be seen as God's gift. Man, created in the image and likeness of God, is called to be his free co-worker and, at the same time, to be responsible for the "stewardship" of creation. You have also wished to reaffirm the inalienable value of the personal dignity of every individual from conception to natural death; you revisited the theme of bodiliness and its personalistic meaning; you focused your attention on the family as a community of love and life. You dwelt on the importance of the communications media for a far-reaching dissemination of the culture of life, and the need to be involved in a personal witness to it. You have also recalled how, in this area, everything that encourages dialogue should be pursued, in the conviction that the full truth about man supports life. The believer is sustained in this by an enthusiasm rooted in the faith. Life will triumph: this is a sure hope for us. Yes, life will triumph because truth, goodness, joy and true progress are on the side of life. God, who loves life and gives it generously, is on the side of life. As always happens in the relationship between philosophical reflection and theological meditation, in this case too the word and example of Jesus, who gave his life to conquer death and to give man a share in his resurrection, are also an indispensable help. Christ is the "resurrection and the life" (Jn 11: 25). Reasoning from this perspective, I wrote in the Encyclical Evangelium vitae: "The Gospel of life is not simply a reflection, however new and profound, on human life. Nor is it merely a commandment aimed at raising awareness and bringing about significant changes in society. Still less is it an illusory promise of a better future. The Gospel of life is something concrete and personal, for it consists in the proclamation of the very person of Jesus.