Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8424 Plough Quarterly • Autumn 2016 The Gospel of Life Readings from Evangelium Vitae JOH N PAUL II Twenty-one years ago, Pope John Paul II issued his apostolic letter Evangelium Vitae, addressing it to all people of good will. The pope’s ringing condemnation of abortion and euthanasia, and his strictures on capital punishment, rightly captured broad attention. But his letter is far more than a list of moral rules. Today its prophetic proclamation of the whole gospel is more urgent than ever. and promoted, especially when it is weak or threatened. It is not only a personal but a social concern which we must all foster: a concern to make unconditional respect for human life the foundation of a renewed society. . . . Where life is involved, the service of charity must be profoundly consistent. It cannot tolerate bias and discrimination, for human life is sacred and inviolable at every stage and in every situation; it is an indivisible good. We need then to “show care” for all life and for the lives of everyone. False Freedom The eclipse of the sense of God and of man inevitably leads to a practical materialism, which breeds individualism, utilitarianism, I nsigh t Th e G o s p e l o f l i f e is at the heart of Jesus’ message. . . . This gospel has a profound and persuasive echo in the heart of every person – believer and nonbeliever alike – because it marvelously fulfills all the heart’s expectations while infi- nitely surpassing them. . . . The commandment “You shall not kill,” even in its more positive aspects of respecting, loving, and promoting human life, is binding on every individual human being. It resounds in the moral conscience of everyone as an irrepressible echo of the original covenant of God the Creator with mankind. . . . It is therefore a service of love which we are all committed to ensure to our neighbor, that his or her life may be always defended William H. Johnson, Come to Me, Little Children Image from Smithsonian American Art Museum