The Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Life and Dignity of the Human Person

What is the Church’s official teaching on the life and dignity of the human person?


The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) teaches:

“As pastors and teachers, we proclaim that human life is a precious gift from God; that each person who receives this gift has responsibilities toward God, self, and others; and that society, through its laws and social institutions, must protect and nurture human life at every stage of its existence." - From Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities


"The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching." - From Life & Dignity of the Human Person


The inherent dignity of every human life from conception to natural death is a call for all Catholics to actively work to shape our world to show greater respect for human life and to work to achieve peace and justice for all people.

This teaching has far-reaching implications beyond the abortion and birth control issues we hear so much about. The Church goes on to say:


"We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.” - From Life & Dignity of the Human Person


Basically, this teaching reflects our understanding from Scripture that human beings are created “in the image and likeness of God” and seeks to preserve the dignity of every human person regardless of their age or circumstances in life. Catholic Social Teaching concerning the dignity of the human person leads to involvement in a broad range of issues including:


  • Preventing abortion and euthanasia
  • Ending the death penalty
  • Fair treatment for those with disabilities
  • Promoting civil rights and equality for those of different races, genders, ages, quality of health and income level
  • Ending the cycle of poverty
  • Working to avoid war by preventing conflicts or resolving them by peaceful means
  • Preventing cloning and embryonic stem cell research

 

Some saints who have worked tirelessly to fight for the life and dignity of the human person include:


  • St. Peter Claver, who was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary. He is the patron saint of slaves, due to his heroic work ministering to and affirming the inherent worth and dignity of African slaves in Columbia.
  • St. Teresa of Calcutta, who worked tirelessly affirming the dignity of life in the poorest and most destitute people living in the slums of India.

 

Some local organizations you can get involved in, which advocate for the life and dignity of the human person are:



“Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God's image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are.”  - Pope John Paul II from Centesimus Annus, paragraph 11 (Papal Encyclical on the 100th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum)


Do you realize your own worth and dignity lies in who you are as a child of God, regardless of what you do or how much money you have? We encourage you to you to affirm that same dignity in others, as a way of practicing your faith.


Click below to watch a video from Catholic Relief Services that further explains this theme of Catholic Social Teaching:

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