POPE JOHN PAUL II

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POPE JOHN PAUL II

• The Pope of Life

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• Today we bid farewell to Pope John Paul the
  Great, the Pope of Life. His teachings will guide
  and nourish the Church for centuries. In
  particular, his teachings on the sanctity of
  life, especially the unborn, will continue to
  stir our consciences to build a culture of life.
  
• Fr. Frank Pavone, Director,
• Priests for Life

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President George W. Bush

• Pope John Paul II "reminded us of our
  obligation to build a culture of life, in which
  the strong protect the weak."

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Pope in his homily on November 6, 1999, in Delhi

• The peoples of Asia cry out in a host of
  tongues Which is the door that leads to life?
  And we heard Jesus say I am the door. Yes,
  Jesus Christ is the door that leads to life! We
  heard Asians cry out Who will open the door for
  us? And there came the reply of Christ I will
  open the door and lead you into life. We heard
  the voice of Asias peoples ask But how will
  you open the door and lead us into life? To this
  Jesus replied I will lay down my life for you!

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The sanctity of human life

• In the life of a human person, Gods image is
  shines forth anew. (Gospel of life, 36)
• Human life comes from God it is his gift, his
  image and imprint, a sharing in his breath of
  life. (G. life, 39)
• Human life is sacred because from its beginning
  it involves the creative action of God and it
  remains forever in a special relationship with
  the Creator, who is its sole end (G. life, 53)

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"You Cannot Trade With Life. Pro-life day,
Feb.23, 2003

• The common outcry, which is justly made on behalf
  of human rights for example, the right to
  health, to home, to work, to family, to culture -
  is false and illusory if right to life, the
  most basic and fundamental right and the
  condition of all other personal rights, is not
  defended with maximum determination.
  (Christifideles Laici, 38)

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The direct and voluntary killing of an innocent
human being is always gravely immoral." (n. 57)
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Every threat to human dignity and life must
necessarily be felt in the Church's very heart
it cannot but affect her at the core of her
faith.
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• The Pope calls for the fostering of "a
  contemplative outlook", one which recognizes
  "every individual as a 'wonder'" (n. 83). We must
  all develop a posture which makes "unconditional
  respect for human life the foundation of a
  renewed society" (n. 77), enabling us "to see in
  every human face the face of Christ" (n. 81).
  With this outlook in mind, we "accept life as a
  gift, discovering in all things the reflection of
  the Creator and seeing in every person his living
  image" (n. 83).

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• "The commandment You shall not kill applies
  even in the presence of illness and when physical
  weakness reduces the person's ability to be
  self-reliant."
• Message for Lent, Jan. 28, 2005

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Terminally ill Palliative Care

• Even the patient in the so-called "vegetative"
  state, who cannot visibly respond to us, is no
  "vegetable" but a human person loved by God and
  "the value of a mans life cannot be made
  subordinate to any judgment of its quality
  expressed by other men."
• Food and water should "in principle" be
  considered an "ordinary and proportionate" means
  for sustaining these patients' lives. Such
  feeding, even if it requires some medical
  assistance, is "morally obligatory" as long as it
  serves its proper goals effectively providing
  nourishment and alleviating suffering.

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• "The care of the elderly, above all when they
  pass through difficult moments, must be of great
  concern to all the faithful, especially in the
  ecclesial communities

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Promoted peace in a bellicose world

• War is not always inevitable. It is always a
  defeat for humanity...
• War is never just another means that one can
  choose to employ for settling differences between
  nations
• War cannot be decided upon except as the very
  last option and in accordance with very strict
  conditions, without ignoring the consequences for
  the civilian population both during and after the
  military operations.

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Other issues that Pope John Paul II was seriously
concerned about

• Human cloning
• Capital Punishment
• Culture of Death
• Homo Sexuality Gay marriages
• Contraceptive culture

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The Pope of Life

• John Paul II was not a Pope in the history, but
  he was a Pope who made the history
• May he inspire us to promote life, life in its
  fullness

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Thank Q
Fr. Alex Vadakumthala CBCI Commission for Health