Pro-life movement needs new approach, driven by all the faithful, dicastery says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life has published a pastoral framework to help dioceses begin a synodal process for strengthening and promoting the pastoral care of human life.

The aim is to help all Catholics defend, safeguard and promote all human life worldwide and in different cultural contexts at a time that is "marked by extremely serious violations of human dignity," the dicastery said in a statement March 24, the eve of the 30th anniversary of St. John Paul II's encyclical, "Evangelium Vitae" ("The Gospel of Life").

Titled, "Life is always a good. Initiating Processes for a Pastoral Care of Human Life," the 40-page framework seeks to reaffirm St. John Paul's words as repeatedly emphasized by Pope Francis and to "draw the attention of all people of goodwill who wish to be at the service of communities to effectively defend and promote every human person's life," Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, dicastery prefect, wrote in its preface.

Many countries are afflicted by wars and all sorts of violence, "especially against women, children before and after birth, adolescents, people with disabilities, the elderly, the poor and migrants," he wrote.

"We must forge a genuine pastoral care of human life to put into practice what is also reiterated in the recent declaration, 'Dignitas Infinita' ('Infinite Dignity'), of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith," he added.

The principle that every person's life should always be respected, safeguarded and defended, which is evident in church teaching and recognizable even by reason, must be "implemented in every country, village and household" with special emphasis on helping young people understand and welcome the value of life, the cardinal wrote.

However, he wrote, the framework does not provide local churches "with preset and ready-to-use 'recipes.' Instead, it offers ways to initiate 'processes'" that involve the entire body of the Catholic Church, reflective of the synodal process begun in 2021.

Through dialogue, listening, prayer and discernment, all the faithful with the guidance of the Holy Spirit can work "to create the conditions to welcome and accompany life anywhere and anytime," Cardinal Farrell wrote.

According to the framework, the foundation of the pro-life mission is to move from a "logic of performing activities to achieve objectives" to a "logic of co-responsibility and transformative discipleship." That is, where pastoral plans are no longer developed alone since they are not effective.

The church must build and tap into its "ecclesial intelligence," where all members -- active and aware of the reality on the ground -- come together as disciples, not to have "a project," but to respond to a call, like the Good Samaritan coming to the aid of a person in need, it said.

"In many countries, attention to life issues is kept high by pro-life movements, but many of them mainly focus on civil and political action," the framework said.

"Pastoral care is an ecclesial action of the Christian community, laypeople and pastors together, which cannot be delegated and is called to address every situation in which human dignity is threatened, without confining itself to specific areas," it said.

There is also a need to "look beyond beginning and end-of-life issues, which still remain a priority," and include other serious violations of human life, it said.

"We need situational intelligence, empathy, intuition, and practical wisdom" to implement pastoral action, the framework said. "This is why the proposed planning model is formative and transformative not only in terms of results but also in terms of the people who plan."

Bishop Dario Gervasi, adjunct secretary of the dicastery, said in a press release that the framework came out of an ongoing dialogue with the world's bishops.

"The primary recipients of this pastoral framework are the bishops who, during their frequent 'ad limina' visits to the Holy See, have always emphasized the urgency of a renewed commitment to safeguard and promote the life and dignity of every human being," he said.

It is a way to support every diocese's journey "so that they can invest the necessary resources for a more effective formation of the laity and raise awareness among younger generations about the value of human life," Bishop Gervasi said.

The framework is available on the dicastery's website at laityfamilylife.va in English, Portuguese and Italian, and Spanish and French versions will be available "soon," the press release said.

Cardinal Farrell encouraged "every bishop, priest, religious man and woman and layperson to read this pastoral framework and strive to develop an organic and structured pastoral care of human life, which can provide workers, educators, teachers, parents, young people and children the right formation to respect the value of life."