Vatican City, Jan 30, 2020 / 06:00 am
Warning of the modern tendency to judge human life on the basis of utility rather than dignity, Pope Francis Thursday urged the need to protect the lives of the smallest and most vulnerable.
"A society deserves the title of 'civilized' … if it recognizes the intangible value of human life," Pope Francis said Jan. 30 in a meeting with the Vatican Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith (CDF).
"The current socio-cultural context is progressively eroding awareness of what makes human life precious. In fact, it is increasingly evaluated on the basis of its efficiency and usefulness, to the point of considering 'rejected lives' or 'unworthy lives' as those which do not meet this criterion," the pope warned.
Pope Francis applauded the CDF for dedicating its plenary assembly to the topic of care for the terminally and critically ill.