On November 16, 2010, MP Andrew Kania introduced a private Member's Bill C-573, an Act to establish Pope John Paul II day.
Many fine things were said of Pope John Paul II that day, and there was broad support for the bill. Pope John Paul II's accomplishments included his influence on the fall of communism, his direct influence on bridging between the Catholic church and other religions including Jews and Muslims; and reaching out and visiting 129 countries.
One of Pope John Paul's greatest accomplishments however, was his Encyclical, Evangelium Vitae or the Gospel of Life. This is a remarkable letter that Pope John Paul II wrote to all peoples of the world.
In that Encyclical, in reference to the Second Vatican Council, which condemned crimes and attacks against human life, including abortion and euthanasia, Pope John Paul said:
"Unfortunately, this disturbing state of affairs, far from decreasing, is expanding: with the new prospects opened up by scientific and technological progress there arise new forms of attacks on the dignity of the human being. At the same time a new cultural climate is developing and taking hold, which gives crimes against life a new and-if possible-even more sinister character, giving rise to further grave concern: broad sectors of public opinion justify certain crimes against life in the name of the rights of individual freedom, and on this basis they claim not only exemption from punishment but even authorization by the State, so that these things can be done with total freedom and indeed with the free assistance of health-care systems.
All this is causing a profound change in the way in which life and relationships between people are considered. The fact that legislation in many countries, perhaps even departing from basic principles of their Constitutions, has determined not to punish these practices against life, and even to make them altogether legal, is both a disturbing symptom and a significant cause of grave moral decline. Choices once unanimously considered criminal and rejected by the common moral sense are gradually becoming socially acceptable. Even certain sectors of the medical profession, which by its calling is directed to the defense and care of human life, are increasingly willing to carry out these acts against the person. In this way the very nature of the medical profession is distorted and contradicted, and the dignity of those who practice it is degraded. In such a cultural and legislative situation, the serious demographic, social and family problems which weigh upon many of the world's peoples and which require responsible and effective attention from national and international bodies, are left open to false and deceptive solutions, opposed to the truth and the good of persons and nations.
The end result of this is tragic: not only is the fact of the destruction of so many human lives still to be born or in their final stage extremely grave and disturbing, but no less grave and disturbing is the fact that conscience itself, darkened as it were by such widespread conditioning, is finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish between good and evil in what concerns the basic value of human life."
This Encyclical is a very powerful testament to the legacy of Pope John Paul II and what he stood for--the intrinsic value all human life from conception until natural death.
What I would like to know is this. Will the MPs who stood up in the House of Commons and supported bill C-573 in honour of Pope John Paul II--will they also stand up and support Rod Bruinooge's private member’s bill C-510, Roxanne's Law? Even though Roxanne's law does nothing to ban any abortions, it will give extra protection to women from being coerced into having an abortion.
I think Pope John Paul would approve.
Indeed he would!
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