At the conclusion of the Third World Congress of Pro-Life Movements, which was held in Rome on 2-4 October, the participants issued the following Pro-Life Manifesto.
As leaders of pro-life movements from every continent on earth, we represented millions of men and women of various races, cultures and religions actively committed to the cause of human life. Aware of great responsibilities, we first affirm our convictions and then we address an urgent warning and a call to action to all humanity.
1.1 With Pope John Paul II, we celebrate the Good News of Life proclaimed in the Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae. With him, we joyfully affirm that "Life is always a good" (Evangelium Vitae, n. 34). We are convinced that all human beings have innate dignity. They are persons of unique value and hence should enjoy the right to live.
1.2 We are committed to defend and promote this right to life and the inherent value and dignity of the human person from conception until natural death.
1.3 We therefore affirm the right of every human being to:
- a natural conception;
- to his or her own identity and genetic inheritance, undisturbed by manipulation or experiments which violate human rights;
- to being raised in a stable family by his or her own parents;
- to a natural death, free from the threat of euthanasia.
1.4 We are convinced that violating the right to life, beginning with killing the unborn infant, leads to the violent society of the "war of the powerful against the weak" (Evangelium Vitae, n. 12).
1.5 We are convinced that the true liberation of women occurs when they rediscover their dignity and role as the bearers of life who care for the weakest and most vulnerable (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 99). We affirm that women are educators for peace, love, justice and truth.
1.6 Through our commitment to life, we are involved in a wider and deeper struggle which runs through human history. It is the struggle between the culture of life and the culture of death.
2.1 As we approach the third millennium, the struggle between life and death enters a crisis. In solidarity with Pope John Paul II, we warn all people of what he has called the "culture of death ".
2.2 All around us, this culture of death is waging a relentless war against the human race. Its agents are wealthy and powerful; they are active in governments, international organisations, the media, in education and industry. The victims of their "conspiracy against life" are the most helpless and innocent human beings - the unborn, the poor, the sick, the disabled and the aged (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 12).
2.3 The culture of death embodies a total misunderstanding of the true nature of the human person, a denial of the innate dignity of persons. The truth about the person is clearly maintained in the Christian, Jewish, Islamic and also other religions. It is proclaimed by Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae. The denial of this truth causes a crisis in ethics. Selfish individualism and a perverse idea of freedom break apart the family and society and open the door to further crimes against humanity.
2.4 With the greatest urgency, as a warning to humanity, we denounce the activities of the culture of death.
- The right to life of each human being is in effect being denied in many countries. Without that basic right, human "rights" are only what the public authorities bestow.
- The inalienable right of husband and wife to transmit life is being abused and ignored (cf. Charter of the Rights of the Family, Article 3).
- At the United Nations International Conferences, Cairo (1994), Copenhagen and Beijing (1995), some nations have tried to impose a kind of international "right" to abortion (cf. the Reservations of the Holy See at these Conferences).
- Organisations for population control, linked closely to the contraceptive and abortion industries, work continually to eliminate people rather than solving the problems of poverty through development.
- Female and male sterilisation is more and more widespread, often carried out in public health institutions, at times promoted by deceit and aimed at the poor and also the intellectually handicapped.
- Chemical methods of abortion, such as RU486 and so-called "anti-pregnancy vaccines", will silently eliminate unknown millions of innocent human beings as well as having unknown long-term effects on mothers. This is indeed "chemical warfare" against the unborn (cf. Centesimus annus, n. 39). Chemical abortion also "absolves" men from responsibility in this crime against humanity.
- But making abortion a women's "choice" often deprives men of their right of paternity.
- It is almost impossible to distinguish between certain methods of contraception and abortion (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 13). Women and men have the right to know whether or not they run the risk of executing their unborn children, as well as being informed about harmful "side-effects" of contraceptives.
- Embryo experimentation and certain methods of artificial procreation destroy unborn human beings and break down respect for new life.
- Prenatal diagnosis is often misused to justify abortions (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 63).
- Denying the value of the life of the unborn leads to or facilitates infanticide. In some countries, infanticide is spreading, directed especially against girls and disabled infants.
- In schools and the media, young people are often the targets of systematic anti-life sex-education, which separates sexuality from love and the family. The rights and responsibilities of parents are often ignored and, in some countries, abortion services are even offered through school-based clinics.
- Having spread abortion through the world the agents of the culture of death are systematically introducing the legalisation of euthanasia (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 64).
- The same agents of the culture of death are actively involved in eugenic population control, using selective abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and soon manipulation of the human genetic code.
- Health-care personnel involved in abortion and euthanasia become agents of death rather than persons who heal and care.
3.1 In the face of these converging threats, we call all people who love human life to mobilise in this decisive struggle between life and death.
3.2 We call for action especially in the following ways:
- teaching the truth about the person, the true anthropology of the innate dignity and rights of all human beings;
- efforts to restore everywhere strong and unambiguous legal protection for the right to life of the unborn, disabled persons and the elderly;
- greater solidarity with mothers, including: preventive help for women under pressure to have an abortion, support services for pregnant women and compassionate care for women who have had abortions;
- educating fathers to assume their responsibilities in support of mothers who are the bearers of new life;
- helping parents to exercise their right to educate their children in chaste and faithful love in the family;
- systematic pro-life education of children and young people, from the earliest years in the family, in schools, universities and youth movements;
- providing warnings for women and men about contraceptive methods which in fact procure early abortions;
- compassionate care for the dying, in the family or in hospices, to protect them from euthanasia;
- the legal protection of the genetic identity of all human beings;
- legal protection for the conscience of health-care workers, pharmacists and others who choose life rather than death in accord with Hippocratic ethics;
- education in bioethics for healthcare personnel and medical students and access to bioethics committees and commissions for pro-life experts;
- grass-roots promotion of natural methods for the regulation of fertility and equitable funding for more research on these scientifically proven methods;
- stronger support for programmes reflecting a pro-life culture in the democratic process;
- equitable access to the mass-media for pro-life movements and an end to lies, bias and misrepresentation;
- greater support for young people in their pro-life activities and education projects;
- providing information about financial interests which profit from the culture of death;
- exposing the fallacies of population ideology and revealing the identity and activities of organisations promoting the culture of death.
3.3 Population questions and policies can be resolved through true justice, international solidarity and development, together with natural methods for regulating fertility, when these are used for serious reasons. Recognising the problem of accelerated population growth without adequate resources in some regions, we must not forget the threat of a "demographic winter" which is emerging in those nations where there are more coffins than cradles.
3.4 We call on all entangled in the culture of death to break free! We invite you to reflect on the totalitarian deologies of our century which brought death to millions, and on the new culture of death, of which you are part (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 20). We appeal to you: choose life!
3.5 We call on all women to recognise their innate dignity and to commit themselves to protect and cherish the life of the unborn. Working together with men, women are the true bearers of life and peace.
3.6 We call on politicians, jurists and legislators to work courageously for just laws which maintain the right to life of all human beings from conception until natural death.
3.7 We call on all people to join us in building a new culture of human life. "The Gospel of life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good" (Evangelium Vitae, n. 101).
3.8 We thank Pope John Paul II for his teaching, especially in Evangelium Vitae, which inspires people of all religions. We are confident that Episcopal Conferences and Dioceses will respond to his call. We also hope that all Christians and members of other religions will be encouraged to make a renewed commitment for human life.
3.9 We thank all who work tirelessly in the noble cause of protecting human life. We especially thank the Pontifical Council for the Family for bringing us together in this historic World Pro-Life Congress. May it lead to national, regional and local congresses to co-ordinate and strengthen the varied and complementary efforts of all pro-life movements.
3.10 We commend our work to Almighty God, the Lord, Lover and Giver of Life, for, without prayer, this spiritual combat cannot be won.
3.11 With great joy, we renew our commitment to the beautiful and liberating Gospel of Life. At this critical time. we call on all people to join us in defending and promoting God's precious gift of human life!
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