4. Some Grave Violations of Human Dignity
33. In light of the previous reflections on the centrality of human dignity, the final section of this Declaration addresses some specific and grave violations of that dignity. It does so in the spirit proper to the Church’s magisterium, which has found full expression in the teaching of the recent Pontiffs, as mentioned previously. For example, Pope Francis, on the one hand, tirelessly reminds us of the need to respect human dignity: “Every human being has the right to live with dignity and to develop integrally; this fundamental right cannot be denied by any country. People have this right even if they are unproductive or were born with or developed limitations. This does not detract from their great dignity as human persons, a dignity based not on circumstances but on the intrinsic worth of their being. Unless this basic principle is upheld, there will be no future either for fraternity or for the survival of humanity.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 107: AAS 112 (2020), 1005-1006.] On the other hand, he never ceases to point out the concrete violations of human dignity in our time, calling us each to awaken to our responsibility and the need to engage in a concrete commitment in this regard.
34. In addressing some of the many grave violations of human dignity today, we can draw upon the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, which emphasized that “all offenses against life itself, such as murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, and willful suicide” must be recognized as contrary to human dignity.[: Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (7 December 1965), no. 27: AAS 58 (1966), 1047.] Furthermore, the Council affirmed that “all violations of the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, physical and mental torture, undue psychological pressures,” also infringe upon our dignity.[: Ibid.] Finally, it denounced “all offenses against human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children, degrading working conditions where individuals are treated as mere tools for profit rather than free and responsible persons.”[: Ibid.] Here, one should also mention the death penalty, for this also violates the inalienable dignity of every person, regardless of the circumstances.[: Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2267, and Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to Bishops Regarding the New Revision of Number 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Death Penalty (1 August 2018), nos. 7-8.] In this regard, we must recognize that “the firm rejection of the death penalty shows to what extent it is possible to recognize the inalienable dignity of every human being and to accept that he or she has a place in this universe. If I do not deny that dignity to the worst of criminals, I will not deny it to anyone. I will give everyone the possibility of sharing this planet with me, despite all our differences.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 269: AAS 112 (2020), 1065.] It is also fitting to reaffirm the dignity of those who are incarcerated, who often must live in undignified conditions. Finally, it should be stated that—even if someone has been guilty of serious crimes—the practice of torture completely contradicts the dignity that is proper to every human being.
35. While not claiming to be exhaustive, the following paragraphs draw attention to some grave violations of human dignity that are particularly relevant.
The Drama of Poverty
36. One of the phenomena that contributes significantly to denying the dignity of so many human beings is extreme poverty, linked as it is to the unequal distribution of wealth. As Pope St. John Paul II emphasized, “One of the greatest injustices in the contemporary world consists precisely in this: that the ones who possess much are relatively few and those who possess almost nothing are many. It is the injustice of the poor distribution of the goods and services originally intended for all.”[: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (30 December 1987), no. 28: AAS 80 (1988), 549.] Moreover, it would be misleading to make a cursory distinction between “rich” and “poor” countries, for Benedict XVI recognized that “the world’s wealth is growing in absolute terms, but inequalities are on the increase. In rich countries, new sectors of society are succumbing to poverty and new forms of poverty are emerging. In poorer areas, some groups enjoy a sort of ‘super-development’ of a wasteful and consumerist kind, which forms an unacceptable contrast with the ongoing situations of dehumanizing deprivation.” The “‘scandal of glaring inequalities’ continues,”[: Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), no. 22: AAS 101 (2009), 657, quoting Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio (26 March 1967), no. 9: AAS 59 (1967), 261-262.] where the dignity of the poor is doubly denied because of the lack of resources available to meet their basic needs and the indifference shown toward them by their neighbors.
37. With Pope Francis, therefore, one must conclude that “wealth has increased, but together with inequality, with the result that ‘new forms of poverty are emerging.’ The claim that the modern world has reduced poverty is made by measuring poverty with criteria from the past that do not correspond to present-day realities.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 21: AAS 112 (2020), 976; quoting Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), no. 22: AAS 101 (2009), 657.] As a result, poverty “can take a variety of forms, such as an obsession with reducing labor costs with no concern for its grave consequences, since the unemployment that it directly generates leads to the expansion of poverty.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 20: AAS 112 (2020), 975-976. Cf. also the “Prayer to the Creator” at the end of this encyclical.] Among these “destructive effects of the empire of money,”[: Ibid., no. 116: AAS 112 (2020), 1009; quoting Francis, Address to Participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements (28 October 2014): AAS 106 (2014), 851-852.] it must be recognized that “there is no poverty worse than that which takes away work and the dignity of work.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 162: AAS 112 (2020), 1025; quoting Francis, Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See (12 January 2015): AAS 107 (2015), 165.] Moreover, if some people are born into a country or family where they have fewer opportunities to develop, we should acknowledge that this is contrary to their dignity, which is the same dignity as that of those born into a wealthy family or country. We are all responsible for this stark inequality, albeit to varying degrees.
War
38. Another tragedy that denies human dignity, both in the past and today, is war: “War, terrorist attacks, racial or religious persecution, and many other affronts to human dignity […] ‘have become so common as to constitute a real ‘third world war’ fought piecemeal.'”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 25: AAS 112 (2020), 978; quoting Francis, Message for the 2016 World Day of Peace (1 January 2016): AAS 108 (2016), 49.] With its trail of destruction and suffering, war attacks human dignity in both the short and long term: “While reaffirming the inalienable right to self-defense and the responsibility to protect those whose lives are threatened, we must acknowledge that war is always a ‘defeat of humanity.’ No war is worth the tears of a mother who has seen her child mutilated or killed; no war is worth the loss of the life of even one human being, a sacred being created in the image and likeness of the Creator; no war is worth the poisoning of our common home; and no war is worth the despair of those who are forced to leave their homeland and are deprived, from one moment to the next, of their home and all the family, friendship, social and cultural ties that have been built up, sometimes over generations.”[: Francis, Message to Participants in the Sixth Edition of the “Forum de Paris sur la Paix” (10 November 2023): L’Osservatore Romano (10 November 2023), 7; quoting Id., General Audience (23 March 2022): L’Osservatore Romano (23 March 2022), 3.] All wars, by the mere fact that they contradict human dignity, are “conflicts that will not solve problems but only increase them.”[: Francis, Address to the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) (2 December 2023): L’Osservatore Romano (2 December 2023), 2.] This point is even more critical in our time when it has become commonplace for so many innocent civilians to perish beyond the confines of a battlefield.
39. Therefore, even today, the Church cannot but make her own the words of the Pontiffs, repeating with Pope St. Paul VI: “jamais plus la guerre, jamais plus la guerre!” []”never again war, never again war!”].[: Cf. Paul VI, Address to the United Nations (4 October 1965): AAS 57 (1965), 881.] Moreover, together with Pope St. John Paul II, the Church pleas “in the name of God and in the name of man: Do not kill! Do not prepare destruction and extermination for people! Think of your brothers and sisters who are suffering hunger and misery! Respect each one’s dignity and freedom!”[: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis (4 March 1979), no. 16: AAS 71 (1979), 295.] As much now as ever, this is the cry of the Church and of all humanity. Pope Francis underscores this by stating, “We can no longer think of war as a solution because its risks will probably always be greater than its supposed benefits. In view of this, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a ‘just war.’ Never again war!”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 258: AAS 112 (2020), 1061.] Since humanity often falls back into the same mistakes of the past, “in order to make peace a reality, we must move away from the logic of the legitimacy of war.”[: Francis, Address to the Security Council of the United Nations (14 June 2023): L’Osservatore Romano (15 June 2023), 8.] The intimate relationship between faith and human dignity means it would be contradictory for war to be based on religious convictions: “The one who calls upon God’s name to justify terrorism, violence, and war does not follow God’s path. War in the name of religion becomes a war against religion itself.”[: Francis, Address on the World Day of Prayer for Peace (20 September 2016): L’Osservatore Romano (22 September 2016), 5.]
40. Migrants are among the first victims of multiple forms of poverty. Not only is their dignity denied in their home countries,[: Cf. Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 38: AAS 112 (2020), 983: “For this reason, ‘there is also a need to reaffirm the right not to emigrate, that is, to remain in one’s homeland’”; quoting Benedict XVI, Message for the 99th World Day Migrants and Refugees (12 October 2012): AAS 104 (2012), 908.] but also their lives are put at risk because they no longer have the means to start a family, to work, or to feed themselves.[: Cf. Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 38: AAS 112 (2020), 982-983.] Once they have arrived in countries that should be able to accept them, “migrants are not seen as entitled like others to participate in the life of society, and it is forgotten that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person. […] No one will ever openly deny that they are human beings; yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human.”[: Ibid., no. 39: AAS 112 (2020), 983.] Therefore, it is urgent to remember that “every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance.”[: Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), no. 62: AAS 101 (2009), 697.] Receiving migrants is an important and meaningful way of defending “the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 39: AAS 112 (2020), 983.]
Human Trafficking
41. Human trafficking must also be counted among the grave violations of human dignity.[: We might recall here Pope Paul III’s declaration on the dignity of those people found in the lands of the “New World” in the Bull Pastorale Officium (29 May 1537), where the Holy Father established—under penalty of excommunication—that the inhabitants of those territories, “even if outside the bosom of the Church, are not […] to be deprived, of their freedom or the ownership of their goods, for they are men and, therefore, capable of faith and salvation” («licet extra gremium Ecclesiae existant, non tamen sua libertate, aut rerum suarum dominio […] privandos esse, et cum homines, ideoque fidei et salutis capaces sint»): DH 1495.] While it is not a new phenomenon, it has taken on tragic dimensions before our eyes, which is why Pope Francis has denounced it in particularly emphatic terms: “I reaffirm here that the ‘trade in people’ is a vile activity, a disgrace to our societies that claim to be civilized! Exploiters and clients at all levels should make a serious examination of conscience both in the first person and before God! Today the Church is renewing her urgent appeal that the dignity and centrality of every individual always be safeguarded, with respect for fundamental rights, as her social teaching emphasizes. She asks that these rights really be extended for millions of men and women on every continent, wherever they are not recognized. In a world in which a lot is said about rights, how often is human dignity actually trampled upon! In a world in which so much is said about rights, it seems that the only thing that has any rights is money.”[: Francis, Address to Participants in the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (24 May 2013): AAS 105 (2013), 470-471.]
42. For these reasons, the Church and humanity must not cease fighting against such phenomena as “the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labor, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism, and international organized crime. Such is the magnitude of these situations, and their toll in innocent lives, that we must avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism that would assuage our consciences. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges.”[: Francis, Address to the United Nations Organization, New York (25 September 2015): AAS 107 (2015), 1039.] Confronted with these varied and brutal denials of human dignity, we need to be increasingly aware that “human trafficking is a crime against humanity.”[: Francis, Address to New Ambassadors Accredited to the Holy See on the Occasion of the Presentation of the Letters of Credence (12 December 2013): L’Osservatore Romano (13 December 2013), 8.] It essentially denies human dignity in at least two ways: “Trafficking profoundly disfigures the humanity of the victim, offending his or her freedom and dignity. Yet, at the same time, it dehumanizes those who carry it out.”[: Francis, Address to Participants in the International Conference on Human Trafficking (11 April 2019): AAS 111 (2019), 700.]
Sexual Abuse
43. The profound dignity inherent in human beings in their entirety of mind and body also allows us to understand why all sexual abuse leaves deep scars in the hearts of those who suffer it. Indeed, those who suffer sexual abuse experience real wounds in their human dignity. These are “sufferings that can last a lifetime and that no repentance can remedy. This phenomenon is widespread in society and it also affects the Church and represents a serious obstacle to her mission.”[: XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Final Document (27 October 2018), no. 29.] From this stems the Church’s ceaseless efforts to put an end to all kinds of abuse, starting from within.
Violence Against Women
44. Violence against women is a global scandal that is gaining increasing recognition. While the equal dignity of women may be recognized in words, the inequalities between women and men in some countries remain very serious. Even in the most developed and democratic countries, the concrete social reality testifies to the fact that women are often not accorded the same dignity as men. Pope Francis highlighted this when he affirmed that “the organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men. We say one thing with words, but our decisions and reality tell another story. Indeed, ‘doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment, and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights.'”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 23: AAS 112 (2020), 977, quoting Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), no. 212: AAS 105 (2013), 1108.]
45. Pope St. John Paul II recognized that “much remains to be done to prevent discrimination against those who have chosen to be wives and mothers. […] [T]here is an urgent need to achieve real equality in every area: equal pay for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements, equality of spouses with regard to family rights and the recognition of everything that is part of the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic State.”[: John Paul II, Letter to Women (29 June 1995), no. 4: Insegnamenti XVIII/1 (1997), 1874.] Indeed, inequalities in these areas are also various forms of violence. He also recalled that “the time has come to condemn vigorously the types of sexual violence which frequently have women for their object and to pass laws which effectively defend them from such violence. Nor can we fail, in the name of the respect due to the human person, to condemn the widespread hedonistic and commercial culture which encourages the systematic exploitation of sexuality and corrupts even very young girls into letting their bodies be used for profit.”[: Ibid., no. 5: Insegnamenti XVIII/1 (1997), 1875.] Among the forms of violence carried out on women, how can we not mention coercive abortions, which affect both mother and child, often to satisfy the selfishness of males? And how can we not also mention the practice of polygamy? As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, polygamy is contrary to the equal dignity of women and men; it is also “contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive.”[: Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1645.]
46. In this consideration of violence against women, one cannot condemn enough the phenomenon of femicide. On this front, the entire international community must have a coordinated and concrete commitment, as Pope Francis reiterated, “Our love for Mary must help us to feel appreciation and gratitude for women, for our mothers and grandmothers, who are a bastion in the life in our cities. Almost always in silence, they carry life forward. It is the silence and strength of hope. Thank you for your witness. […] But in thinking of our mothers and grandmothers, I want to invite you to combat a scourge that affects our American continent: the numerous cases where women are killed. And the many situations of violence that are kept quiet behind so many walls. I ask you to fight against this source of suffering by calling for legislation and a culture that repudiates every form of violence.”[: Francis, Address on the Occasion of the Marian Celebration – Our Lady of the Gate (20 January 2018): AAS 110 (2018), 329.]
Abortion
47. The Church consistently reminds us that “the dignity of every human being has an intrinsic character and is valid from the moment of conception until natural death. It is precisely the affirmation of such dignity that is the inalienable prerequisite for the protection of a personal and social existence, and also the necessary condition for fraternity and social friendship to be realized among all the peoples of the earth.”[: Francis, Address to the Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (21 January 2022): L’Osservatore Romano (21 January 2022), 8.] On account of the intangible value of human life, the Church’s magisterium has always spoken out against abortion. In this regard, Pope St. John Paul II writes: “Among all the crimes which can be committed against life, procured abortion has characteristics making it particularly serious and deplorable. […] But today, in many people’s consciences, the perception of its gravity has become progressively obscured. The acceptance of abortion in the popular mind, in behavior, and even in law itself is a telling sign of an extremely dangerous crisis of the moral sense, which is becoming more and more incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, even when the fundamental right to life is at stake. Given such a grave situation, we need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name, without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception. In this regard, the reproach of the Prophet is extremely straightforward: ‘Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness’ (Is. 5:20). Especially in the case of abortion, there is a widespread use of ambiguous terminology, such as ‘interruption of pregnancy,’ which tends to hide abortion’s true nature and to attenuate its seriousness in public opinion. Perhaps this linguistic phenomenon is itself a symptom of an uneasiness of conscience. But no word has the power to change the reality of things: procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing, by whatever means it is carried out, of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, extending from conception to birth.”[: John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae (25 March 1995), no. 58: AAS 87 (1995) 466-467. On the subject of the respect due to human embryos, see Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Donum Vitae (22 February 1987): “The practice of keeping alive human embryos in vivo or in vitro for experimental or commercial purposes is totally opposed to human dignity” (I, 4): AAS 80 (1988), 82.] Unborn children are, thus, “the most defenseless and innocent among us. Nowadays, efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with them whatever one pleases, taking their lives and passing laws preventing anyone from standing in the way of this.”[: Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013), no. 213: AAS 105 (2013), 1108.] It must, therefore, be stated with all force and clarity, even in our time, that “this defense of unborn life is closely linked to the defense of each and every other human right. It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development. Human beings are ends in themselves and never a means of resolving other problems. Once this conviction disappears, so do solid and lasting foundations for the defense of human rights, which would always be subject to the passing whims of the powers that be. Reason alone is sufficient to recognize the inviolable value of each single human life, but if we also look at the issue from the standpoint of faith, ‘every violation of the personal dignity of the human being cries out in vengeance to God and is an offense against the Creator of the individual.'”[: Ibid.] In this context, it is worth recalling St. Teresa of Calcutta’s generous and courageous commitment to the defense of every person conceived.
Surrogacy
48. The Church also takes a stand against the practice of surrogacy, through which the immensely worthy child becomes a mere object. On this point, Pope Francis’s words have a singular clarity: “The path to peace calls for respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking. In this regard, I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract. Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally.”Francis, Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See (8 January 2024): L’Osservatore Romano (8 January 2024), 3.[/mfn]
49. First and foremost, the practice of surrogacy violates the dignity of the child. Indeed, every child possesses an intangible dignity that is clearly expressed—albeit in a unique and differentiated way—at every stage of his or her life: from the moment of conception, at birth, growing up as a boy or girl, and becoming an adult. Because of this unalienable dignity, the child has the right to have a fully human (and not artificially induced) origin and to receive the gift of a life that manifests both the dignity of the giver and that of the receiver. Moreover, acknowledging the dignity of the human person also entails recognizing every dimension of the dignity of the conjugal union and of human procreation. Considering this, the legitimate desire to have a child cannot be transformed into a “right to a child” that fails to respect the dignity of that child as the recipient of the gift of life.[: Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Dignitas Personae (8 September 2008), no. 16: AAS 100 (2008), 868-869. All these aspects are recalled in the then-Congregation’s Instruction Donum Vitae (22 February 1987): AAS 80 (1988), 71-102.]
50. Surrogacy also violates the dignity of the woman, whether she is coerced into it or chooses to subject herself to it freely. For, in this practice, the woman is detached from the child growing in her and becomes a mere means subservient to the arbitrary gain or desire of others. This contrasts in every way with the fundamental dignity of every human being and with each person’s right to be recognized always individually and never as an instrument for another.
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
51. There is a special case of human dignity violation that is quieter but is swiftly gaining ground. It is unique in how it utilizes a mistaken understanding of human dignity to turn the concept of dignity against life itself. This confusion is particularly evident today in discussions surrounding euthanasia. For example, laws permitting euthanasia or assisted suicide are sometimes called “death with dignity acts.” With this, there is a widespread notion that euthanasia or assisted suicide is somehow consistent with respect for the dignity of the human person. However, in response to this, it must be strongly reiterated that suffering does not cause the sick to lose their dignity, which is intrinsically and inalienably their own. Instead, suffering can become an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of mutual belonging and gain greater awareness of the precious value of each person to the whole human family.
52. Certainly, the dignity of those who are critically or terminally ill calls for all suitable and necessary efforts to alleviate their suffering through appropriate palliative care and by avoiding aggressive treatments or disproportionate medical procedures. This approach corresponds with the “enduring responsibility to appreciate the needs of the sick person: care needs, pain relief, and affective and spiritual needs.”[: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter Samaritanus Bonus (14 July 2020), V, no. 4: AAS 112 (2020), 925.] However, an effort of this nature is entirely different from—and is indeed contrary to—a decision to end one’s own life or that of another person who is burdened by suffering. Even in its sorrowful state, human life carries a dignity that must always be upheld, that can never be lost, and that calls for unconditional respect. Indeed, there are no circumstances under which human life would cease from being dignified and could, as a result, be put to an end: “Each life has the same value and dignity for everyone: the respect of the life of another is the same as the respect owed to one’s own life.”[: Cf. Ibid., V, no. 1: AAS 112 (2020), 919.] Therefore, helping the suicidal person to take his or her own life is an objective offense against the dignity of the person asking for it, even if one would be thereby fulfilling the person’s wish: “We must accompany people towards death, but not provoke death or facilitate any form of suicide. Remember that the right to care and treatment for all must always be prioritized so that the weakest, particularly the elderly and the sick, are never rejected. Life is a right, not death, which must be welcomed, not administered. And this ethical principle concerns everyone, not just Christians or believers.”[: Francis, General Audience (9 February 2022): L’Osservatore Romano (9 February 2022), 3.] As mentioned above, the dignity of each person, no matter how weak or burdened by suffering, implies the dignity of us all.
The Marginalization of People with Disabilities
53. One criterion for verifying whether real attention is given to the dignity of every individual in society is the help given to the most disadvantaged. Regrettably, our time is not known for such care; rather, a “throwaway culture” is increasingly imposing itself.[: See especially Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), nos. 18-21: AAS 112 (2020), 975-976: “A ‘Throwaway’ World.” No. 188 of the same Encyclical goes so far as to identify a “throwaway culture.”] To counter this trend, the condition of those experiencing physical or mental limitations warrants special attention and concern. Such conditions of acute vulnerability[: Cf. Francis, Address to Participants in the Conference Organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization (21 October 2017): L’Osservatore Romano (22 October 2017), 8: “Vulnerability is intrinsic to the essential nature of the human person.”] —which feature prominently in the Gospels—prompt universal questions about what it means to be a human person, especially starting from the condition of impairment or disability. The question of human imperfection also carries clear socio-cultural implications since some cultures tend to marginalize or even oppress individuals with disabilities, treating them as “rejects.” However, the truth is that each human being, regardless of their vulnerabilities, receives his or her dignity from the sole fact of being willed and loved by God. Thus, every effort should be made to encourage the inclusion and active participation of those who are affected by frailty or disability in the life of society and of the Church.[: Cf. Francis, Message for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December 2020): AAS 112 (2020), 1185-1188.]
54. In a broader perspective, it must be remembered that “this charity, which is the spiritual heart of politics, is always a preferential love shown to those in greatest need; it undergirds everything we do on their behalf. […] ‘To tend those in need takes strength and tenderness, effort, and generosity in the midst of a functionalistic and privatized mindset that inexorably leads to a ‘throwaway culture’ […]. It involves taking responsibility for the present with its situations of utter marginalization and anguish, and being capable of bestowing dignity upon it.’ It will likewise inspire intense efforts to ensure that ‘everything be done to protect the status and dignity of the human person.'”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), nos. 187-188: AAS 112 (2020), 1035-1036; cf. Id., Address to the European Parliament, Strasbourg (25 November 2014): AAS 106 (2014), 999, and Id., Address at the Meeting with Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps in the Central African Republic, Bangui (29 November 2015): AAS 107 (2015), 1320.]
Gender Theory
55. The Church wishes, first of all, “to reaffirm that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression and violence.”[: Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (19 March 2016), no. 250: AAS 108 (2016), 412-413; quoting Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2358.] For this reason, it should be denounced as contrary to human dignity the fact that, in some places, not a few people are imprisoned, tortured, and even deprived of the good of life solely because of their sexual orientation.
56. At the same time, the Church highlights the definite critical issues present in gender theory. On this point, Pope Francis has reminded us that “the path to peace calls for respect for human rights, in accordance with the simple yet clear formulation contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose seventy-fifth anniversary we recently celebrated. These principles are self-evident and commonly accepted. Regrettably, in recent decades, attempts have been made to introduce new rights that are neither fully consistent with those originally defined nor always acceptable. They have led to instances of ideological colonization, in which gender theory plays a central role; the latter is extremely dangerous since it cancels differences in its claim to make everyone equal.”[: Francis, Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See for the Presentation of New Year’s Greetings (8 January 2024): L’Osservatore Romano (8 January 2024), 3.]
57. Regarding gender theory, whose scientific coherence is the subject of considerable debate among experts, the Church recalls that human life in all its dimensions, both physical and spiritual, is a gift from God. This gift is to be accepted with gratitude and placed at the service of the good. Desiring a personal self-determination, as gender theory prescribes, apart from this fundamental truth that human life is a gift, amounts to a concession to the age-old temptation to make oneself God, entering into competition with the true God of love revealed to us in the Gospel.
58. Another prominent aspect of gender theory is that it intends to deny the greatest possible difference that exists between living beings: sexual difference. This foundational difference is not only the greatest imaginable difference but is also the most beautiful and most powerful of them. In the male-female couple, this difference achieves the most marvelous of reciprocities. It thus becomes the source of that miracle that never ceases to surprise us: the arrival of new human beings in the world.
59. In this sense, respect for both one’s own body and that of others is crucial in light of the proliferation of claims to new rights advanced by gender theory. This ideology “envisages a society without sexual differences, thereby eliminating the anthropological basis of the family.”[: Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (19 March 2016), no. 56: AAS 108 (2016), 334.] It thus becomes unacceptable that “some ideologies of this sort, which seek to respond to what are at times understandable aspirations, manage to assert themselves as absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised. It needs to be emphasized that ‘biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.'”[: Ibid.; quoting Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Relatio Finalis (24 October 2015), 58.] Therefore, all attempts to obscure reference to the ineliminable sexual difference between man and woman are to be rejected: “We cannot separate the masculine and the feminine from God’s work of creation, which is prior to all our decisions and experiences, and where biological elements exist which are impossible to ignore.”[: Ibid., no. 286: AAS 108 (2016), 425.] Only by acknowledging and accepting this difference in reciprocity can each person fully discover themselves, their dignity, and their identity.
Sex Change
60. The dignity of the body cannot be considered inferior to that of the person as such. The Catechism of the Catholic Church expressly invites us to recognize that “the human body shares in the dignity of ‘the image of God.'”[: Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 364.] Such a truth deserves to be remembered, especially when it comes to sex change, for humans are inseparably composed of both body and soul. In this, the body serves as the living context in which the interiority of the soul unfolds and manifests itself, as it does also through the network of human relationships. Constituting the person’s being, the soul and the body both participate in the dignity that characterizes every human.[: This also applies to the respect due to the bodies of the deceased; for example, see Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Ad Resurgendum cum Christo (15 August 2016), no. 3: AAS 108 (2016), 1290: “By burying the bodies of the faithful, the Church confirms her faith in the resurrection of the body, and intends to show the great dignity of the human body as an integral part of the human person whose body forms part of their identity.” More generally, see also International Theological Commission, Current Problems of Eschatology (1990), no. 5: “People Called to Resurrection.”] Moreover, the body participates in that dignity as it is endowed with personal meanings, particularly in its sexed condition.[: Cf. Francis, Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (24 May 2015), no. 155: AAS 107 (2015), 909.] It is in the body that each person recognizes himself or herself as generated by others, and it is through their bodies that men and women can establish a loving relationship capable of generating other persons. Teaching about the need to respect the natural order of the human person, Pope Francis affirmed that “creation is prior to us and must be received as a gift. At the same time, we are called to protect our humanity, and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created.”[: Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (19 March 2016), no. 56: AAS 108 (2016), 344.] It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception. This is not to exclude the possibility that a person with genital abnormalities that are already evident at birth or that develop later may choose to receive the assistance of healthcare professionals to resolve these abnormalities. However, in this case, such a medical procedure would not constitute a sex change in the sense intended here.
Digital Violence
61. Although the advancement of digital technologies may offer many possibilities for promoting human dignity, it also increasingly tends toward the creation of a world in which exploitation, exclusion, and violence grow, extending even to the point of harming the dignity of the human person. Consider, for example, how easy it is through these means to endanger a person’s good name with fake news and slander. On this point, Pope Francis stresses that “it is not healthy to confuse communication with mere virtual contact. Indeed, ‘the digital environment is also one of loneliness, manipulation, exploitation, and violence, even to the extreme case of the ‘dark web.’ Digital media can expose people to the risk of addiction, isolation, and gradual loss of contact with concrete reality, blocking the development of authentic interpersonal relationships. New forms of violence are spreading through social media, for example, cyberbullying. The internet is also a channel for spreading pornography and the exploitation of persons for sexual purposes or through gambling.'”[: Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit (25 March 2019), no. 88: AAS 111 (2019), 413, quoting the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Final Document (27 October 2018), no. 23.] In this way, paradoxically, the more that opportunities for making connections grow in this realm, the more people find themselves isolated and impoverished in interpersonal relationships: “Digital communication wants to bring everything out into the open; people’s lives are combed over, laid bare and bandied about, often anonymously. Respect for others disintegrates, and even as we dismiss, ignore, or keep others distant, we can shamelessly peer into every detail of their lives.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 42: AAS 112 (2020), 984.] Such tendencies represent a dark side of digital progress.
62. In this perspective, if technology is to serve human dignity and not harm it, and if it is to promote peace rather than violence, then the human community must be proactive in addressing these trends with respect to human dignity and the promotion of the good: “In today’s globalized world, ‘the media can help us to feel closer to one another, creating a sense of the unity of the human family which in turn can inspire solidarity and serious efforts to ensure a more dignified life for all. […] The media can help us greatly in this, especially nowadays, when the networks of human communication have made unprecedented advances. The internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.’ We need constantly to ensure that present-day forms of communication are in fact guiding us to generous encounter with others, to honest pursuit of the whole truth, to service, to closeness to the underprivileged and to the promotion of the common good.”[: Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti (3 October 2020), no. 205: AAS 112 (2020), 1042; quoting Id., Message for the 48th World Communications Day (24 January 2014): AAS 106 (2014), 113.]
