Poverty linked to respect for life in Pope’s book

Last updated on: April 29, 2013 at 11:01 pm by CNA Daily News

Poverty linked to respect for life in Pope’s book 2013-04-29T23:01:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Denver, Colo., Apr 29, 2013 / 05:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In his newly translated book, Pope Francis proposes a Christ-centered understanding of human dignity that yields a comprehensive respect for life reaching from the unborn to the impoverished.

“He clearly makes the case that Jesus brings about a completely new vision of humanity, that human life is provided with a dignity that goes beyond our capacity to understand,” Alejandro Bermudez, the book's translator, told CNA April 23.

“Therefore the most crucial approach to human life is reverence.”

The new book, “On Heaven and Earth,” is a conversation between Pope Francis and Abraham Skorka, a rabbi and scholar from Buenos Aires. It was originally published in Spanish in 2010, when Francis was still Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The book depicts a firm reverence for human life that connects the Pope’s committed opposition to abortion and euthanasia with his passionate concern for the poor and elderly.

“This reverence means paying attention first to secure life in itself, and second the continuity of life that comes through the relationship of one man and one woman, and third the dignity of the quality of that life,” explained Bermudez, who is also executive director of Catholic News Agency.

“So for Pope Francis, it is a continuity … the zeal for the defense of life and of marriage is exactly the same zeal for human life that brings him to come out in the defense of the poor, and most specifically of all of those who are suffering.”

Bermudez explained that “there are many forms of poverty which goes beyond just the physical, and Pope Francis has been extremely sensitive to any kind of human suffering.”

In “On Heaven and Earth,” Pope Francis speaks at length about the needs of the poor and vulnerable. He says that the elderly are unfortunately among those who are seen as “disposable” by today's “consumerist, hedonist and narcissistic society.”

In the same work, the Pope explained that the death penalty “once was one of the punishments that Christianity accepted, but today the moral conscience has become much more refined.”

Bermudez said that this perspective is not “anything different than what John Paul II said.”

“In his mind, more and more the sensibility of Catholics should move us away from the death penalty … Pope Francis comes from a part of the world in which the death penalty has long been suppressed, it doesn't exist.”

This is the case in much of the world, so the death penalty does not have the “relevance” that it has in the U.S., Bermudez explained, “and so in general, Catholic leaders have not elaborated much beyond what John Paul II said in Evangelium Vitae and what the Catechism reflects.”

“On Heaven and Earth” is now available in English from Image Books, an imprint of Random House, in print, digital and audio formats.

Until recently, the works of Pope Francis have been available only in his native tongue. Two works on Jesuit spirituality, entitled “Humility, the road towards God” and “Corruption and sin,” are being published this month in Italian.

Previous Post

April 29, 2013

Stabbing attack at New Mexico church hospitalizes four

Next Post

April 30, 2013 US bishops say budget should prioritize poor

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called ____ of God.

Select your answer to see how you score.

Servants Disciples Children Friends