What did St John Paul II mean by the culture of death?

What did St John Paul II mean by the culture of death?

In the latter years of his papacy Pope John Paul II decried what he saw as a "culture of death" where societies devalued human life to the point of a commodity (Ev; no. 28). This culture grew out of the prevalence of the wrong understanding of suffering inherent in societies across the world.

What is meant by the life culture?

Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, art.

What is the importance of culture of life?

In addition to its intrinsic value, culture provides important social and economic benefits. With improved learning and health, increased tolerance, and opportunities to come together with others, culture enhances our quality of life and increases overall well-being for both individuals and communities.

What does Pope Francis mean when he speaks of a throwaway culture?

Since his election in March 2013, Pope Francis has brought significant attention to the concept of "throwaway culture." This moral paradigm-which has been defined by Francis in various speeches and the encyclical Laudato si'-characterizes a present-day culture in which food, disposable objects, and even human beings ...

 themselves are "discarded as 'unnecessary.'" 

What are the 5 elements of culture?

The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts. Language makes effective social interaction possible and influences how people conceive of concepts and object

s it important to keep culture alive?

It is important to preserve our cultural heritage, because it keeps our integrity as a people. The importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next.

Could humans survive without culture?

As we make our way toward an unknown future, culture has a crucial role to play in our survival. As humans, we naturally need food, water and shelter to survive. But equally important is understanding. To survive, we need to understand our environment, each other and ourselves.

What happens if we lose our culture?

The loss of cultural practices can lead to reduced social cohesion and society-wide mental health challenges because an individual's culture is closely linked with his/her/their sense of identity and belonging to a community.

JOHN PAUL CONDEMNS `CULTURE OF DEATH' https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-03-31-9503310188-story.html 

In a new encyclical issued Thursday, Pope John Paul II condemned a growing and widespread "culture of death" in which moral "crimes" such as abortion and euthanasia are viewed as individual rights.

"Choices once unanimously considered criminal and rejected by the common moral sense are gradually becoming socially acceptable," the pope declared.

The 188-page "Evangelium Vitae," translated as "The Gospel of Life," marks the first time that abortion and euthanasia have been discussed in a papal encyclical and bolstered at such length with theological and philosophical underpinnings.

The pope also addressed capital punishment for the first time in an encyclical, opposing it "except in cases of absolute necessity," which he said were "very rare, if not practically nonexistent."

While the encyclical includes the pope's usual strong condemnations of abortion, it allows anti-abortion legislators to vote for bills that restrict abortion but fall short of a total ban. "This does not in fact represent an illicit cooperation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects," the pope said.

In Chicago, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin described John Paul's 11th encyclical as "a teaching document for the entire world" and predicted it will be seen as "one of the most important in (the pope's) universal pastorate."

Bernardin said he had "a uniquely personal interest" in the encyclical because it endorses "what I have called a `consistent ethic of life,' a theological basis for linking all life-issues, however diverse they may be, from conception to natural death."

Among other highlights, the encyclical:

- Takes a qualified position on prenatal diagnosis, approving it "if carried out in order to identify medical treatment that may be needed by the child in the womb" but disapproving if it "becomes an opportunity for proposing and procuring an abortion."

- Forbids techniques of artifical reproduction, which "are morally unacceptable, since they separate procreation from the fully human context of the conjugal act" and because their high failure rates lead to destruction of embryos or their use for research.

- Instructs medical personnel to resist taking part in abortions or euthanasia if they oppose these procedures.

Asked if nurses and doctors should go so far as to leave their positions at a hospital if they are required to assist in abortions, Bernardin said: "Ultimately, that is the decision that has to be made. It has to be preceded by . . . dialogue and engagement and discussion about the issue."

The encyclical warned of "a new cultural climate" in which abortion and other "crimes against life" are justified in the name of individual freedom.

"This culture is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency."

The document characterized abortion as, "in a certain sense, a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected. . . ."

Euthanasia was condemned in similar terms as an attack on those whose illness, handicap or mere existence "compromises the well-being or lifestyle of those who are more favored. . . ."

But the encyclical was careful to distinguish between euthanasia and refusing "aggressive" life-saving medical treatment for the dying.

"To forgo extraordinary or disproportionate means is not the equivalent of suicide or euthanasia," the pope said. "It rather expresses the acceptance of the human condition in the face of death."

The pope said laws that legitimize abortion and euthanasia are "both a disturbing symptom and a significant cause of grave moral decline" and he urged Catholics to oppose such laws "by conscientious objection"-not violence.

"When, in accordance with their principles, such movements act resolutely, but without resorting to violence, they promote a wider and more profound consciousness of the value of life, and evoke and bring about a more determined commitment to its defense," he said.

Despite its calls for steadfast resistance to abortion, the encyclical gives some leeway to lawmakers faced with legislation that only limits abortion without banning it.

"This is something that has not been stated so clearly before in a papal document," Bernardin noted.

"There would be some people in the pro-life movement who would say, `Even if you have a law that permits abortion indiscriminately, and then an effort is made to restrict that law, you would not be permitted to vote for it because it still permits some abortions.' The pope says the legislator may now vote for the law."

In response to a question about the pope's position on women who have abortions, Bernardin replied: "He expresses a great concern for them, and he reaches out to them and says even though you have procured an abortion, you must remember that God loves you, that forgiveness is possible. He also indicates that one who has been through an abortion can become a very convincing and forceful voice on behalf of life."

The view is a recognition that many Roman Catholic women have perhaps had abortions and may feel estranged from the church.