Church Teaching Sanctity of Life
Catholics care about the sanctity of life because the entire purpose of each soul God endows with life is to find its way back to God by loving God and caring for all the souls God has placed around it. Voluntary termination of life any time between conception and natural death necessarily frustrates that purpose.
The source of human dignity is the likeness to God that is bestowed on each of us at the moment we are conceived. We respond appropriately to this gift by using all the time, talent, and treasure that God has entrusted to us to seek and grow closer to God, by sharing in His continuing act of creation and caring for those around us. Our first purpose is to seek God, especially in one another. If we do that, everything else will be given to us. Anything that interferes with that is contrary to the Word of God. Genesis chapter 1; Matthew chapters 6, 22 & 25
Abortion & Euthanasia
“You shall not kill.”
– the 5th Commandment
The right to life from conception to natural death is the foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching, and in particular, implies the illicitness of every form of procured abortion and of euthanasia. – 155, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
“This is not something subject to alleged reforms or ‘modernizations.’ It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.”
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 214
Human Engineering
Cloning and Cell Manipulation
An issue of particular social and cultural significance today, because of its many and serious moral implications, is human cloning… the simple replication of normal cells or of a portion of DNA presents no particular ethical problem. Very different, however, is cloning understood in the proper sense. Such cloning is contrary to the dignity of human procreation because it takes place in total absence of an act of personal love between spouses, being agamic and asexual reproduction. In the second place, this type of reproduction represents a form of total domination over the reproduced individual on the part of the one reproducing it…
Cloning for therapeutic use does not attenuate its moral gravity, because in order that such cells may be removed the embryo must first be created and then destroyed. 236, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Gender Election
Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity. Physical, moral and spiritual difference and complementarities are oriented towards the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life. -224 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Men and women with homosexual tendencies must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. – 358 Catechism of the Catholic Church
Population Growth; Birth Control; Family Planning
Judgment concerning the interval of time between births, and that regarding the number of children, belongs to the spouses alone. This is one of their inalienable rights, to be exercised before God… The intervention of public authorities must be made in a way that fully respects the freedom of the couple. All programmes of economic assistance aimed at financing campaigns of sterilization and contraception are to be morally condemned as affronts to the dignity of the person and the family.
The answer to questions connected with population growth must instead by sought in simultaneous respect both of sexual morals and of social ethics, promoting greater justice and authentic solidarity so that dignity is given to life in all circumstances.
All reproductive techniques — such as the donation of sperm or ova, surrogate motherhood, heterologous artificial fertilization — that make use of the uterus of another woman or of gametes of persons other than the married couple, injuring the right of the child to be born of one father and one mother who are father and mother are ethically unacceptable both from a biological and from a legal point of view. – 234-235, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
Human Trafficking
The solemn proclamation of human rights is contradicted by a painful reality of violations, including new forms of slavery such as trafficking in human beings, illegal drug trafficking, prostitution. “Even in countries with democratic forms of government, these rights are not always fully respected”. Some serious problems remain unsolved: trafficking in children, the phenomenon of “street children, and the use of children for commerce in pornographic material. – 158, 245 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.
Bloc Quebecois The Bloc states that it works exclusively for Quebec, and it is not accountable to anti-choice lobbies.
Abortion & alternatives
The Bloc states that it is pro-choice and will:
– unconditionally defend the right of women to voluntarily terminate their pregnancies, and
– oppose any bill that would have the effect of limiting the right of women to control their own bodies
The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– Assisted Suicide or alternatives, including palliative care
– Human Engineering, including either stem cell, genetic, & embryo research or gender election
– Population, birth control & family planning
– Human trafficking & slavery
Christian Heritage Party Abortion, & Alternatives
The party states that:
– abortion is not a Charter-protected right
– many recent studies have shown a link between abortion and breast cancer
– abortion should be defunded, not defended
Socially-Assisted Death, & Alternatives
The party states that killing innocent people is always wrong.
The party advocates:
– restoring protection from assisted suicide and euthanasia. The party wants to kill the pain, not the patient
– better access to palliative comfort care
– conscience protection for health care professionals; no Canadian should be forced to violate his or her conscience
Human Engineering
Stem cell, genetic, & embryo research
The party has released no official statement concerning its position on stem cell, genetic, or embryonic research.
Gender election
The party states that:
– there are two biological genders: male and female
– biological gender is encoded in the chromosomes and cannot be changed by surgery or chemicals
– children must be protected from the LGBTQ “gender agenda” which ignores biological reality
– parents’ rights to guide their children’s social development must be protected from indoctrination in the school system
– taxpayers should not have to pay for “gender reassignment surgery”, hormone blockers or other attempts to artificially change an individual’s gender
Population, birth control & family planning
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on population birth control, or family planning.
Conservative Party of Canada Sanctity of Life: the meaning and purpose of life
The party states that it advocates respect for conscience rights for doctors, nurses and others to refuse to participate in or make referrals for abortion, assisted suicide, or euthanasia
Abortion & Alternatives
The party states that it will not support any legislation to regulate abortion
Socially-Assisted Death – & alternatives
The party states that the federal government should have appealed the Quebec Superior Court decision on Medical Assistance in Dying, rather than passing a vague law with no safeguards that devalues human life
The party advocates:
– reinstatement of the ten-day waiting period to make sure somebody does not make this decision at their lowest point
– restoring the requirement for two fully independent witnesses to ensure that a vulnerable person is not being forced or coerced
– requiring that any discussion of Socially-Assisted Death (SAD, also called “MAiD”)
– repeal of Bill C-7 provisions allowing SAD for those with mental health challenges
– requiring that any patient receiving SAD to be informed/reminded immediately before receiving it and given the opportunity to withdraw consent
– protecting the right of patients to choose to receive care in a SAD-free environment
– require healthcare practitioners approving SAD requests (“MAiD” accessors) to examine and consult directly with the patient before approving the request (with allowances made for virtually-enabled examination where required)
– requiring SAD assessors to complete assessor training to ensure full awareness of and compliance with laws and best practices around SAD
– doubling direct federal investment in palliative care, in view of an estimate by the Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association that under 30 percent of Canadians who need it have access to palliative care services
The party also advocates:
– protecting the conscience rights of healthcare professionals, in order to avoid driving them out of their professions
– encouraging faith-based and other community organizations to expand their provision of palliative and long-term care
Human Engineering
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– gender-elective surgery
– population, birth control or family planning; embryonic research or cloning
Green Party of Canada Abortion – & Alternatives
To ensure a life of health, safety, and dignity for all Canadians, the party advocates restoring the Canada Health Accord to prioritize access to safe abortion services
Socially-Assisted Suicide – & Alternatives
The party has released no official statement of its policies on socially-assisted suicide or alternatives, including palliative care
Human Engineering
Gender Election Surgery
To ensure a life of health, safety, and dignity for all Canadians, the party advocates restoring the Canada Health Accord to prioritize access to gender-affirming health services such as hormones, blockers, and surgery
Human trafficking & slavery
The party advocates increasing funding to bolster investigations and convictions in human trafficking cases.
Liberal Party of Canada Sanctity of Life: the meaning and purpose of life
In Mandate Letters issued to government Ministers at the beginning of its current term of office, the party has instructed Government to begin considering a draft “Quality of Life Framework” in setting and implementing policy, as a provisional replacement of Gross Domestic Product as the measure of social wellbeing. The draft framework comprises factors of prosperity, health, good governance, society, and environment.
The party has asked for public input in defining the framework, including definitions of prosperity, etc.
Abortion, Assisted Suicide, and Alternatives
The party states that:
– the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States served as a reminder that it must continue to do everything it can to protect Canadians’ access to the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care services, including abortion care
– with a woman’s right to choose under threat around the world, in its current term in office it has focused on ensuring that abortion services are accessible across Canada
– in particular, it is committed to ensuring that no Canadian pays out of pocket to receive an abortion
– abortion is health care, and during its term in office it will continue to withhold Canada Health Transfer payments to provinces and territories that allow any patient charges for abortion services
– sexual and reproductive rights, including the right to access safe and legal abortions, are at the core of its foreign policy
Among its key accomplishments in health care and global leadership, the party identifies:
– launching a Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund to help make sexual and reproductive health information and services—including access to abortion—more accessible for vulnerable populations
– investing $1.4 billion each year on global health, of which $700 million is to be dedicated to sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls
The party proposes:
– to continue to reduce existing barriers to care and ensuring that Canadians have access to accurate, culturally safe information about sexual and reproductive health care
– budget 2023 proposes to provide $36 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to Health Canada to renew the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund. This fund supports community-based organizations that help make access to abortion, as well as other sexual and reproductive health care information and services, more accessible for vulnerable populations
Human Engineering
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– stem cell, genetic, & embryonic research
– gender-elective surgery
– population, birth control or family planning
New Democrat Party of Canada Sanctity of Life: the meaning and purpose of life
The party states that every Canadian, of every age, deserves to live in dignity and be treated with respect by their government and the health care system
Abortion – & Alternatives
The party states that:
– it believes in respecting peoples’ rights to make decisions about their own bodies and their own lives. Yet many individuals seeking abortion services in Canada can’t access them
– only 1 hospital in 6 offers abortion, and some provinces refuse to cover the cost of surgical abortion outside hospitals. Lack of access is even worse for people in rural areas and the North. Everyone deserves safe, accessible abortion and reproductive healthcare services – no matter where they live or how much money they make. It’s not enough for elected officials to say that they won’t reopen the abortion debate – we need leaders to take action to improve access to services. It will enforce the Canada Health Act to make sure that the provinces make medical and surgical abortion available in all parts of the country, without barriers. We will ensure that a full range of prescription contraceptive and reproductive health care options are easily accessible at no cost through Medicare and our national pharmacare program, and work with the provinces, territories, and period poverty
Socially Assisted Death (SAD) – & Alternatives
The party advocates working with the provinces and territories to expand and improve access to palliative care across the country
Gender-Elective Surgery
The party advocates working with the provinces to ensure that there is equal access to gender confirming surgery across the country, and that such procedures and medications are covered by public health plans
People’s Party of Canada Human Engineering
Transgender Surgery
The party states that:
– with the active support of the woke far left and all establishment parties, radical trans activists are trying to transform society in a way that curtails everyone’s freedoms. This radical agenda, which contradicts basic biological realities, is proving particularly harmful to women and children.
– in recent years, cultural Marxists and radical activists in the media, government, and schools have made every effort to normalize toxic transgender ideology. They teach children that their gender is determined by stereotypes and if they do not fit into the traditional male or female gender roles, encourage them to think they may have been born in the wrong body.
– children are never born in the wrong body. Children should be taught to accept themselves, not seek solutions through pharmaceuticals and medical procedures.
– most boys and girls suffering from gender dysphoria simply grow out of it. Many suffer from other mental issues such as autism, or are under the temporary influence of a phenomenon of social contagion. Taking puberty blockers at a young age will transform their body and sterilize them for life, when they are too young to evaluate the impact of such a momentous decision.
– sex change surgery involves reconstructing genital organs by using skin and muscles from other parts of the body. These invasive surgeries cause many complications and require lifelong treatments. More and more trans people who underwent such surgeries regret it later in life and want to “detransition”, but it’s tragically too late.
– the normalization of transgender ideology, particularly amongst our youth, will have a catastrophic impact on a generation if we do not reverse course soon. While adults can make whatever choices they want regarding their sex and gender identification, Canadians who believe there are only two immutable sexes and genders must not be compelled to adapt their language and behaviour to accommodate gender ideology.
– in particular, women and children must be protected from the harmful consequences of this ideology.
The party advocates:
– modifying the Criminal Code to outlaw the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and any form of bodily mutilation on minors with the goal of “transitioning” to another sex.
– holding any person encouraging minors to “transition” criminally responsible for attempting to cause harm.
– removing the ban imposed by Bill C-4, the so-called “conversion therapy bill”, on helping minors who suffer from gender dysphoria accept their body.
– ending funding groups that promote radical gender ideology
The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– abortion or alternatives to abortion
– socially-assisted suicide (SAD) or alternatives to assisted suicide
– stem cell, genetic, & embryo research
– population, birth control or family planning
– human trafficking or slavery
Points to Ponder Points to Ponder: Life & Human Dignity
Consider discussing the following questions with your local candidates, elected officials, and the parties, and with your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow parishioners:
A “Quality of Life” Index to Guide Policy-Making
For years, many (probably most) of our political parties have been fond of asserting, in dozens of ways, that various groups of Canadians “deserve” or are “entitled to” a very wide variety of benefits in order to enable them (us) to live lives of dignity. They are much more reluctant, however, to offer any indication of what they mean by a “dignified” life, or any way of measuring the level of dignity of our lives other than gross domestic production levels (GDP) – the aggregate worth of the material objects our society produces. Indeed, many observers have remarked that Canada and other parts of the world appear to have lost any common conception of the proper meaning of the dignity or purpose of life, and with it all sense of community, shared culture, and the common good, falling away instead into splintered patterns of self righteousness and indulgence.
In his encyclical Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis observed that: Today, in many countries, hyperbole, extremism and polarization have become political tools. Employing a strategy of ridicule, suspicion and relentless criticism, in a variety of ways one denies the right of others to exist or to have an opinion. Their share of the truth and their values are rejected and, as a result, the life of society is impoverished and subjected to the hubris of the powerful. Political life no longer has to do with healthy debates about long-term plans to improve people’s lives and to advance the common good, but only with slick marketing techniques primarily aimed at discrediting others. In this craven exchange of charges and counter-charges, debate degenerates into a permanent state of disagreement and confrontation.
Recently a few parties have begun to propose alternative “wellness” indices, based on factors selected to represent the health, happiness, and well-being of society and its individual members. And in 2019 the current government quietly introduced a new “Quality of Life” measure in its instructions to new cabinet ministers, and caused a “Quality of Life Hub” to be posted on the Internet at https://www160.statcan.gc.ca/index-eng.htm. The Hub introduces the index, a draft method for measuring it, and solicits public feedback.
– How should Catholics respond to the government’s call for comment, with properly and prayerfully-formed consciences?
How do the following questions, and their answers, factor into the government’s proposed framework?
– What limits should be placed on voluntary termination of human life, either prior to birth or at any time before death? What can or should be done at the federal level, and what should be left to the provinces, or to private, religious, or other non-profit organizations?
– What options is our society, including the church and other non-profit agencies in addition to government, able to offer to reluctant or unwilling mothers, as alternatives to abortion and to support unwanted children? What can or should be done at the local, or federal, or provincial level, or by private, religious, or other non-profit organizations?
– What options can be offered by provincial or federal governments, or by private agencies, to families of minors who being encouraged to consider medically-assisted suicide? Is it appropriate to allow minors to consider suicide without consulting their parents?
– Are federal restrictions and controls on cloning and the use of human cells, fetuses, and body parts properly crafted? What, if anything, should be done differently? Should there be more discussion of this serious moral issue in our society?
– To what extent should voluntary, elective services that are morally questionable to large numbers of individuals, such as the voluntary termination of life or the voluntary “modification” of gender, be financed publicly through mandatory taxation? If such services are to be offered, should they be financed by the individuals who elect to access them, or by sympathetic charities, or by dissenting taxpayers?