The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document, ‘Dignitas infinita’, identifying violations of human dignity, from societal injustices to bioethical issues.
This declaration, resulting from five years of work, commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reinforcing the Christian view on the dignity of the human person.
The document is structured into four chapters, with the first three establishing foundational principles and the fourth listing violations against human dignity.
It addresses a range of issues including war, poverty, violence against migrants and women, and bioethical concerns like abortion, euthanasia, and surrogate motherhood.
It aims to bridge divides in the discourse on human dignity, emphasizing the need to defend life from conception to its natural end while advocating for the rights of the poor and marginalized.
It underscores the inherent dignity of every person, created in the image of God and redeemed in Christ, irrespective of their condition or abilities.
The document extends the concept of offenses against human dignity to include direct acts against life, such as murder and genocide, and conditions that undermine human integrity and freedom, like poverty, slavery, and subhuman living conditions.
It reaffirms the stance against the death penalty, emphasizing the dignity of every person, regardless of their actions.
It highlights current global injustices such as the plight of migrants, human trafficking, and poverty as significant violations of dignity. It addresses the tragedies of war, questioning the contemporary justification of warfare.
On bioethical fronts, the Vatican reiterates its condemnation of abortion and critiques surrogacy and euthanasia, advocating for a vision of life as a gift to be respected at all stages.
It expresses concern over attempts to erase sexual differences through gender theory, viewing such efforts as contrary to the dignity and identity received from conception.
It also warns against the misuse of digital platforms for cyberbullying, pornography, and exploitation, underlining the importance of digital respect for human dignity.
