VATICAN - “the Christian is called to mobilise to face increasing attacks on the right to life”: final statement from 13th general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The Christian Conscience to Support the Right to Life” was the theme of the 13th general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life held 23 and 24 February in the Vatican to discuss the issue of objection of conscience and the necessity of on-going formation of consciences.
A statement issued after the assembly affirmed: “Deep in his conscience man discovers a law which he did not give himself but which he is obliged to obey. The voice of conscience calls him to love and to do good and to flee from evil, this voice speaks to the ears of the heart.” This first point of the statement was endorsed by all the participants who affirmed referring to the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (16), “God’s law is written within the human heart; it is a question of human dignity to obey it and on this man will be judged.”
“For man to be guided by the judgement of his moral conscience and act to do good in truth, conscience must be continually nurtured with the values which respond to the dignity of the human person, justice and common good”. Among other things, the assembly declared that the "test bed" of Christian conscience "is in the healthcare profession when it faces the duty of protecting human life and the risk of finding itself in situations of cooperation with evil in the application of professional duties."
In such situations "the due exercise of 'decided contentious objection' assumes great importance." The declaration highlights the need "for mobilization of all those concerned with human life, a mobilization that must also extend to the political field. An indispensable requirement of justice is respect for the principle of equality, which requires the protection of everyone's rights, especially of the weakest and most defenseless” . (AP) (17/3/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:38 Parole:486)