Vatican Celebrates the ‘Gospel of Life’

Details: 28 June 2013

In 1995, Blessed Pope John Paul II issued his encyclical Evangelium Vitae ("The Gospel of Life"). As part of the Year of Faith events, the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization designated June 15-16 as days of celebration of "Evangelium Vitae."

Catholics from around the world were invited to Rome for what the Vatican called "a communal witness to the sacred value of all life: The lives of the aged, the lives of the sick, the lives of the dying, the lives of the unborn, the lives of the physically and mentally challenged, and the lives of all those who suffer."

The event was intended "to celebrate, affirm, and encourage all those who so tenderly and with self-abandonment follow in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd by tending to the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of those who are aged, disabled, ill, unborn, homebound, dying or who suffer in any way."

Pope Francis called the event "a special moment especially for those who care about the defense of the sanctity of human life." He urged the faithful to "keep the attention of everyone on the important issue of respect for human life from the moment of conception."

Evangelium Vitae provides an insightful explanation of the origins and roots of what John Paul II calls "a culture of death." One root of the "culture of death" is a distorted notion of freedom characterized by radical individualism (self-centeredness, viewing others as obstacles/burdens instead of as opportunities to give/receive love); relativism (no recognition of moral absolutes or objective truth) and materialism (valuing possessions above people).

The deepest root, "the heart of the tragedy" according to Blessed John Paul, is "the eclipse of the sense of God and of man, typical of a social and cultural climate dominated by secularism." In other words, if our relationship with our Creator is weak, then our understanding of the meaning and value of human life—created in His image—is also weak.

Think about it. If you have never heard of Michelangelo and someone gives you one of his paintings, you’d have no idea of its value. Likewise, if we don’t know God, we are not likely to fully appreciate the meaning and value of human life, and are more likely to violate its dignity. Violating the dignity of human life, like all sin, alienates us further from God and compounds the problem.

Based on these insights, John Paul completes the document with an inspired road map for rebuilding a culture of life and love. The main root for rebuilding a culture of life and love is the opposite of alienation from God: spiritual renewal. The healthier we are in our relationship with God the more profound our respect for human life will be.

Therefore, the most basic, profound, pro-life activity we can pursue is to strengthen our relationship with God, and therefore foster greater holiness in ourselves and radiate it to those around us. The beauty and allure of living a holy life opens more doors and hearts to God’s truth and love than the most compelling and eloquent words.

Rebuilding a culture of life and love also requires us to reflect on, celebrate, and serve human life as a miraculous and sacred gift: "Indeed, ‘despite its hardships, its hidden mysteries, its suffering and its inevitable frailty, this mortal life is a most beautiful thing…In every child which is born and in every person who lives or dies we see the image of God’s glory…a sign of the living God, an icon of Jesus Christ."

Therefore, "[i]n 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…’As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’".

On the fifth anniversary of its issuance, John Paul declared that Evangelium Vitae is "a document that I consider central to the whole of the Magisterium of my pontificate." That says a lot about the importance of this document, especially coming from a Pope who was a prolific writer and who will likely be declared a saint in our lifetime. We’d all be wise to study and heed the wisdom in this document.

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.