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Do you consider yourself Christian? Eco-friendly? Pro-life? To some, it may seem weird to ask these questions together but if your answer is “yes” to the first question, the other two “yeses” should naturally be assumed.
As we read Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, I thought it would be an interesting study to see what the document has to say about life issues.
When looking, it didn’t take long for me find an overwhelming pro-life theme running through the entire encyclical. In fact, there were more than 14 paragraphs with strong pro-life messages and more highlighting the intertwined connection of human dignity and ecology.
The Top 10 Pro-Life Quotes from Laudato Si’
#1 Laudato Si’ 50
“To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues.”#2 Laudato Si’ 90
“At times we see an obsession with denying any pre-eminence to the human person; more zeal is shown in protecting other species than in defending the dignity which all human beings share in equal measure.”#3 Laudato Si’ 91
“A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings. It is clearly inconsistent to combat trafficking in endangered species while remaining completely indifferent to human trafficking, unconcerned about the poor, or undertaking to destroy another human being deemed unwanted.”#4 Laudato Si’ 92
“We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity.”#5 Laudato Si’ 117
“When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities – to offer just a few examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected.”
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#6 Laudato Si’ 118
“There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself. There can be no ecology without an adequate anthropology.”#7 Laudato Si’ 120
“Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties?”#8 Laudato Si’ 136
“There is a tendency to justify transgressing all boundaries when experimentation is carried out on living human embryos. We forget that the inalienable worth of a human being transcends his or her degree of development.”#9 Laudato Si’ 213
“In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life. In the family we first learn how to show love and respect for life; we are taught the proper use of things, order and cleanliness, respect for the local ecosystem and care for all creatures.”#10 Laudato Si’ 215
“If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realize that certain mindsets really do influence our behaviour. Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffectual unless we strive to promote a new way of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature.”
In case you’re interested in the other 4 paragraphs with pro-life messages, be sure to pick up a copy of the encyclical and look up paragraphs, 5, 49, 155, and 229. It’s worth the read.
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