The celebration of the 4th Pro-Life Day has been postponed to the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in order not to fall on the same day as Pentecost Sunday. In the past seven months, the pandemic (COVID-19) has claimed the lives of over 810,000 persons and infected more than 23.5 million persons worldwide. This disaster drives us to reflect on the values and meaning of life and treasure them more. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the encyclical, The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae [EV]), it is an excellent opportunity for us to revisit the notion of “culture of life” in this papal document.
At the beginning of the pandemic, some countries treated the coronavirus as a common flu or intended to handle it by the approach of “herd immunity,” which might lead to high a mortality for the aged and the weak. Such ignorance, stubbornness and negligence have devalued our vulnerable brothers and sisters and cause us to neglect our responsibility to care for our sick brothers and sisters properly, just like Cain not taking care of his brother Abel in the Bible. These policies and attitudes intensify the impact of “the culture of death” on people.
In The Gospel of Life, St. John Paul II explained that “the culture of death” causes the value of life to undergo a kind of eclipse: “A life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another” (EV 12).
He invited us to contemplate the meaning of life, its greatness and fantasy. He hoped we respect life as inviolable, and a person has the right to life. It is because each person is created in the image of God, unique and with dignity, intellect and freedom. On reflection, we can follow our conscience to do good, make contributions through our talents received from God, love and care for others which is similar to the charitable works of St. Teresa of Calcutta. The value of a person is not determined by his ability, academic achievement or wealth, but simply because he is a person irrespective of any disability or incapability.
With the spread of the coronavirus in Italy, many priests continued to pay visits to dying patients (including those infected by coronavirus) who are isolated and lonely in hospitals, in spite of the risks. Eventually, many became infected and more than 100 priests died. Their sacrifices show us the true value of life and their unconditional love to serve others. They live out Jesus’s words: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). The good work of accompanying and caring others helps to build up the “culture of life,” fulfilling the commandment of “loving your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
To foster a new culture of life, firstly as children of God, we have to obey God’s commandment: “Thou shall not kill” which includes not being angry with our brother (Matthew 5:22), and to preach the gospel of life. We should support all the programmes, organisations and teachings that promote the values of life and serve the gospel of life.
These include treating every human life as a gift from God, sacred and inviolable, from the time of conception to the time of natural death. In all circumstances, life should be respected and protected by everyone and by society.
Given these, abortion by intention and euthanasia are absolutely unacceptable, and particularly there are more than 40 million of abortions a year in the world. The value of life is based on giving and accepting love and with this understanding, the conjugal acts of married couples are oriented to the procreation of life. This is the true and perfect meaning of life. Science and technologies are used in the service of human life and its integrity.
Secondly, it is the formation of conscience. Our societies and mass media today are deeply influenced by “the culture of death”. They tolerate or promote the violation of the moral law, especially in the serious matter of respect for human life and its dignity, causing confusion between good and evil, precisely in relation to the fundamental right to life. We need to do more work and education on procreation, pain and suffering, so as to nourish a correct conscience. In parallel, we need to understand biotechnological advances and use them for the promotion and protection of life.
The Bioethics Resource Centre of the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy, and the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family, has played a leading role in this aspect. The vision and mission of Catholic Schools also identify “life” as one of their five core values in education.
Family is a sanctuary of life, where the couple welcomes a new life—the gift of God, and are responsible for its nourishment and growth. Family has an indispensable role in fostering the culture of life. The Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council and the Hong Kong Caritas (Family Services) are providing services in natural family planning for couples preparing to have children.
Couples having difficulties in achieving pregnancies can use the Creighton Model Fertility Care System, a medical intervention to resume power for procreation, which is recognised by the Church. A family is also a place for daily individual and family prayers to live out the gospel of life and for the special care of the elderly and the sick.
A large part of contemporary society experiences a dramatic clash between the “culture of life” and the “culture of death.” There is a need to develop deep critical thinking, capable of discerning true values and authentic needs. “What is urgently called for is a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must build a new culture of life” (EV 95).
The encyclical, The Gospel of Life is “the fruit of the cooperation of the Episcopate of every country of the world, is therefore meant to be a precise and vigorous reaffirmation of the value of human life and its inviolability, and at the same time, a pressing appeal addressed to each and every person, in the name of God: respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life! Only in this direction will you find justice, development, true freedom, peace and happiness!” (EV 5)
After 25 years, the appeal is more pressing than ever. Let us love and respect every human life, walk forward patiently and courageously, to foster the ‘culture of life’ which is the fruit of truth and love.
+ John Cardinal Tong
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
22 August 2020
