Folia Theologica 19. (2008)
Hámori Antal: Human dignity in church Teaching
54 HÁMORI, Antal rences encourage and often oblige persons to practice generosity, kindness, and sharing of goods; they foster the mutual enrichment of cultures: „I distribute the virtues quite diversely; I do not give all of them to each person, but some to one, some to others. ... I shall give principally charity to one; justice to another; humility to this one, a living faith to that one. ... And so I have given many gifts and graces, both spiritual and temporal, with such diversity that I have not given everything to one single person, so that you may be constrained to practice charity towards one another. ... I have willed that one should need another and that all should be my ministers in distributing the graces and gifts they have received from me."77.78 There exist also sinful inequalities that affect millions of men and women. These are in open contradiction of the Gospel: „Their equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for fairer and more humane conditions. Excessive economic and social disparity between individuals and peoples of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equity, human dignity, as well as social and international peace."79 13. Respect of human life: prohibition of manslaughter, abortion, euthanasia and suicide a) Prohibition of manslaughter Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God.80 The murder of a human being is gravely contrary to the dignity of the person and the holiness of the Creator.81 Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the fifth commandment: „Do not slay the innocent and the righteous." (Ex 23:7) The deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely contrary to the digni77 St. Catherine of Siena, Dial. I, 7. 78 CCC 1937; 1946. 79 GS 29; CCC 1938; 1947. 80 CCC 2319. 81 CCC 2320; cf. CCC 2318 (Job 12:10).
