Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Murcia (Fides Service) - “The Congress increased our awareness that we are the People of Life and with God’s help we are committed to announcing to the world the Gospel of Life” participants affirmed in a statement at the end of a Europe for Life International Congress held at San Antonio Catholic University Murcia, Spain 4 to 7 May (see Fides 3/5/2006).
“Life is a gift from God” the statement reads “It is the unavoidable duty of everyone to protect, defend life and promote”. The new situation and cultural and social order of today “marked by permissiveness, secularisation of culture and self-sufficiency which leads people to forget and censure God and restrict religion to a private matter” - has tragic consequences including “systematic undervaluing of a new life, seen as a problem rather than a gift and threatened.... the personal status if the unborn child is not recognised and the end of life is sacrificed because it is of no social use”. This is amplified by the mass-media which manipulate the truth.
“This situation - the statement reads - calls for the announcement of the culture of life, a mission for all, Catholics in particular who have valid assistance in the teaching of the Church and the rejection of ideologies of death. According to the Congress participants, “the media should be at the service of life and opportune use should be made of juridical, political, economic and cultural instance which have such impact for the promotion of the culture of life”. Other important points in the statement include: protection of the family “as the place of unconditioned opening to every human being”; promotion of rigorous scientific research on adult stem cells not embryo stem cells; support “pro-life initiatives”; recognition of objection of conscience of professionals, “in the face of legal pressure to destroy or manipulate life in its earliest or final stages”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 9/5/2006; righe 25, parole 348)
