EUROPE/SPAIN - “Human life is sacred because from the start it involves the creative hand of God and is always a special relationship with the Creator, its only end”: Spanish Bishops’ statement

Monday, 25 April 2005

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Madrid (Fides Service) - "Human life a precious gift of God" is the title of a document issued by the sub-commission for the Family and Life of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” (25 March 1995, John Paul II). The document has 8 chapters: Proclamation of the Gospel of Life; Value of Human Life, fundamental continuity; at the service of life; the family, sanctuary of life,; education affective-sexual; for a culture of the family and of life. The document ends with a prayer to Immaculate Mary Maria for life.
In the document the Bishops say “every culture recognises the value and dignity of human life, which are recognised also by the Universal Declaration as the foundation of co-existence. This foundation is confirmed by the revelation of the Gospel: “because from the start it involves the creative hand of God and is always a special relationship with the Creator, its only end”. Therefore God is the only Lord of life and no one can claim the right to kill. The Bishops say “from the moment of conception there is human life and therefore personal dignity” and so “the human person must be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception” (cfr EV 60).
Scientific progress “is a powerful means which must be used at the service of the person taking into account moral principles”: the aim of progress is the life and dignity of the person. The Bishops underline the importance of the family as a sanctuary where the person is “worthily conceived”, “welcomed with joy” and “celebrated in daily life”: the family is “where children learn the significance of sexuality at the service of love and life”.
Lastly the Bishops launch an appeal to scientists, health care workers, Catholic media operators and all Catholic professionals, and associations and all Christian families to work to protect the family and denounce all attacks on the integrity and life of its members and proclaim with courage the sacred value of human life. The document ends with a prayer to Immaculate Mary to whom the Bishops entrust the cause of life and families . (RG) (Agenzia Fides 25/4/2005; righe 25, parole 369)