<\/p>\n
On February 14, 2010, the Holy Father spoke to the Pontifical Academy for Life. All but the introductory paragraph is noted here<\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n The issues that Before such questions, which touch in Without the foundational principle of human Joining bioethics and natural moral law permits the best confirmation History has shown Illustrious <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On February 14, 2010, the Holy Father spoke to the Pontifical Academy for Life. All but the introductory paragraph is noted here. The issues that revolve around the theme of bioethics allow us to confirm how much these underlying questions in the first place pose the “anthropological question.” As I state in my last encyclical … Continue reading Natural moral guarantees respect for the entire created order, including the human person, Pope tells Pontifical Academy of Life<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[1900],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25333"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25333\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communio.stblogs.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nrevolve around the theme of bioethics allow us to confirm how much these
\nunderlying questions in the first place pose the “anthropological
\nquestion.” As I state in my last encyclical letter, Caritas in Veritate<\/i>:
\n“A particularly crucial battleground in today’s cultural struggle between
\nthe absolutism of technology and human moral responsibility is the field of
\nbioethics, where the very possibility of integral human development is
\nradically called into question. In this most delicate and critical area, the
\nfundamental question asserts itself force-fully: is man the product of his own
\nlabors or does he depend on God?<\/b> Scientific discoveries in this field and the
\npossibilities of technological intervention seem so advanced as to force a
\nchoice between two types of reasoning: reason open to transcendence or reason
\nclosed within immanence” (no. 74).<\/span><\/p>\n
\nsuch a decisive manner human life in its perennial tension between immanence
\nand transcendence, and which have great relevance for the culture of future
\ngenerations, it is necessary to create a holistic pedagogical project that
\npermits us to confront these issues in a positive, balanced and constructive
\nvision<\/i>, above all in the relationship between faith and reason<\/b>. The questions
\nof bioethics often place the reminder of the dignity of the person in the
\nforeground. This dignity is a fundamental principle that the faith in Jesus
\nChrist crucified and risen has always defended<\/span>, above all when it is ignored in
\nregard to the humblest and most vulnerable persons: God loves every human being
\nin a unique and profound way. Bioethics, like every discipline, needs a
\nreminder able to guarantee a consistent understanding of ethical questions
\nthat, inevitably, emerge before possible interpretive conflicts<\/i>. In such a
\nspace a normative recall to the natural moral law presents itself. The
\nrecognition of human dignity, in fact, as an inalienable right first finds its
\nbasis in that law not written by human hand but inscribed by God the Creator in
\nthe heart of man<\/span>. Every juridical order is called to recognize this right as
\ninviolable and every single person must respect and promote it (cf. Catechism
\nof the Catholic Church<\/i>, 1954-1960).<\/span><\/p>\n
\ndignity it would be difficult to find a source for the rights of the person and
\nthe impossible to arrive at an ethical judgment if the face of the conquests of
\nscience that intervene directly in human life. It is thus necessary to repeat
\nwith firmness that an understanding of human dignity does not depend on
\nscientific progress, the gradual formation of human life or facile pietism
\nbefore exceptional situations. When respect for the dignity of the person is
\ninvoked it is fundamental that it be complete, total and with no strings
\nattached, except for those of understanding oneself to be before a human life.
\nOf course, there is development in human life and the horizon of the
\ninvestigation of science and bioethics is open, but it must be reaffirmed that
\nwhen it is a matter of areas relating to the human being, scientists<\/b> can never
\nthink that what they have is only inanimate matter capable of manipulation in
\ntheir hands<\/span>. Indeed, from the very first moment, the life of man is
\ncharacterized as “human life” and therefore always a bearer —
\neverywhere and despite everything — of its own dignity (cf. Congregation for
\nthe Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Dignitas Personae on Certain Bioethical
\nQuestions<\/i>, 5). Without this understanding, we would always be in danger of an
\ninstrumental use of science with the inevitable consequence of easily ceding to
\nthe arbitrary, to discrimination and to the strongest economic
\ninterest.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nof the necessary and unavoidable reminder of the dignity that human life
\nintrinsically possesses from its first instant to its natural end<\/b>. But in the
\ncontemporary context, while a just reminder about the rights that guarantee
\ndignity to the person is emerging with ever greater insistence, one notes that
\nsuch rights are not always recognized in the natural development of human life
\nand in the stages of its greatest fragility. A similar contradiction makes
\nevident the task to be assumed in different spheres of society and culture to
\nensure that human life always be seen as the inalienable subject of rights and
\nnever as an object subjugated to the will of the strongest.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nus how dangerous and deleterious a state can be that proceeds to legislate on
\nquestions that touch the person and society while pretending itself to be the
\nsource and principle of ethics. Without universal principles that permit a
\ncommon denominator for the whole of humanity the danger of a relativistic drift
\nat the legislative level is not at all something should be underestimated (cf.
\nCatechism of the Catholic Church<\/i>, 1959). The natural moral law, strong in its
\nuniversal character, allows us to avert such a danger and above all offers to
\nthe legislator the guarantee for an authentic respect of both the person and the
\nentire created order. It is the catalyzing source of consensus among persons of
\ndifferent cultures and religions and allows them to transcend their differences
\nsince it affirms the existence of an order impressed in nature by the Creator
\nand recognized as an instance of true rational ethical judgment to pursue good
\nand avoid evil<\/b>. The natural moral law “belongs to the great heritage of
\nhuman wisdom. Revelation, with its light, has contributed to further purifying
\nand developing it” (John Paul II, Address to the Plenary Assembly of the
\nCongregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, February 6, 2004).<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmembers of the Pontifical Academy for Life, in the present context your task
\nappears more and more delicate and difficult, but the growing sensitivity in
\nregard to human life is an encouragement to continue, with ever greater spirit
\nand courage, in this important service to life and the education of future
\ngenerations in the evangelical values. I hope that all of you will continue to
\nstudy and research so that the work of promoting and defending life be ever
\nmore effective and fruitful. I accompany you with the apostolic blessing, which
\nI gladly extend to those who share this daily task with you.