The dignity of human life is at the core of the Gospel. I have always struggled to do my best to proclaim the Gospel’s message about human life. Years ago several confreres and three Secular Franciscans united to erect a new branch within the Franciscan family, The Brothers of Life of the Order of St. Francis (OSF), simply known as the Brothers of Life. However, I never expected to be personally attacked by the Culture of Death. One of our candidates once told me that he believes that the enemy is angry. He does not care about human life. His concern is to capture the souls of those who do care for the dignity of human life. I remember having one of those knee-jerk moments. Without thinking about it, I found myself saying, “I will not compromise on the Gospel, even to save my sister’s life.” I was outraged, not at the young brother, but at the arrogance of the enemy.
Now, my sister had died. Her death has broken my heat and strengthened by faith. My faith is strengthened by your faith. It reinforces what it means to be a brother. I am not only Brother because of my vows, but more importantly, I am Brother because I live in communion with you, my brothers and sisters.
That being said, I must state here the crucial role of the secular Catholic in the world. On another thread about capital punishment, I was saddened when a poster said, “We are not bound by Evangelium Vitae.” Obviously, that poster is mistaken. We are bound by the teachings of the Church on all matters that concern faith and morals. The dignity of human life is not a social or legal issue. It is a moral issue. God the Father vested his co-eternal Son with human nature and human dignity. When the Father vests his Son with human dignity at the Incarnation, he elevates human dignity He makes a statement for all eternity, for the Father gives to the Son only that which is holy, that which he loves.
The problem with these laws and the Catholic faith is the perspective. There is a difference between secularism and secularity. Secularism is that frame of mind that tries to limit the voice of the Church to what is non-threatening to society at large. Society has always tried to shut out the Church claiming that she has no right to denounce laws, to call legislators and governments to task or to define moral rules that legislators must follow in making laws. As Christians, we must be very careful not to be swept up into this mindset. The Church has a right and a duty to point to the sacred.
This leads me to the next point, secularity. Secularity is different from secularism. Secularity is a domain that exists outside of the halls of monasteries, church buildings and the Vatican. In that domain live men and women of faith. During his visit to Denver, Pope John Paul II told the youth that were gathered there, “Woe to you, if you do not overcome the Culture of Death.” Notice that he did not say, “if you do not try.” He said, “If you do not overcome . . . “
Laws that legitimize unregulated and unjustified attacks on human dignity exist because men and women of faith are confused between secularism and secularity. They mistakenly believe that speaking out against laws and systems that violate human dignity is imposing religion on the secular. They mistakenly believe that we cannot proclaim the sacred in the public square. They mistakenly believe that to do so is inappropriate. Nothing can be further from the Truth.
If we sit back and allow the State (any state) to enact laws that regulate who lives and dies, without rules, without concern for what is morally right, without attention to the fact that we Christians can easily become victims of the secular mindset, we are abdicating our role in the world. Vatican II titled one of its documents Lumen Gentium (Light To The People). The role of the secular man and woman is to bring the Church’s light to the people. This is secularism.
Such laws exist and more may follow, if the man and woman of faith do not question them and challenge them. We cannot afford the luxury of believing that the teachings of the Church are only for Catholics or that the teachings contained in Evangelium Vitae are not binding, because the document was not decreed infallible through an ex-cathedra decree. The message on the dignity of human life does not need an ex-cathedra decree. The dignity of human life is made evident by the fact that human life comes from the Creator, whose dignity cannot be challenged or questioned. When Christians engage in secularity, taking the message of the Gospel into the secular world, laws that allow others to accelerate the death of a person who is ill, disabled, or elderly will be overturned.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
