With evident joy, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, on Tuesday celebrated the opening Mass for the Human Life International World Prayer Congress for Life in Rome.The cardinal noted the dire situation of the world with regard to the culture for life: “Today, the hardness of heart that grieves the Lord and the Church, has widely spread around the world: abortion and euthanasia have become socially respectable choices, and are even recognized as human rights, the human embryo is considered testing material, the rampant killing of innocent human lives increases.”
He noted that the “40 million abortions” which occur worldwide each year are “equal to the victims of World War II” being killed each year.
Nevertheless the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family gave the pro-life activists hope, telling them: “It is God that has raised and supports your efforts. Tonight we want to thank Him together because He has chosen you as his friends and collaborators, because He gives you strength, intelligence and perseverance to go against the dominant culture, the political power, the rampant corruption.”
Speaking out against in vitro fertilization, and other forms of artificial procreation, Cardinal Antonelli said, “Today, many people - not just couples but also singles and homosexuals - claim the right to have a child through artificial insemination and do not hesitate to resort to shameful forms of commerce. But there is no right to a child, because a person cannot be produced, acquired and owned as an object for one’s self gratification.”
The cardinal explained the teaching of the Catholic Church on the matter by speaking of the “the right of the child to be generated by an act of love objectively expressed in conjugal intercourse.”
Cardinal Antonelli concluded in an appeal “especially” to “rich countries” to be open to children. “It is necessary, especially in rich countries,” he said, “to raise awareness in public opinion and among married couples for a generous and responsible procreation.”
“In the EU, two thirds of households have no children,” he noted. “We are facing an aging population and the subsequent rapid decrease of the population,” he warned.
The resulting serious problems are easy to foresee he said. They include “decrease of productive forces, the increase in spending on pensions, healthcare and assistance and subsequent huge immigration without integration.”
After the Mass Cardinal Antonelli exchanged warm greetings in several languages with conference attendees who applauded him enthusiastically.
SIC: LSN/INT'L