The chair of the Irish bishops’ Council for Life has welcomed the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s new document on human dignity, Dignitas Infinita.
In a statement, Bishop Kevin Doran said the document makes it clear that human dignity is not something that is given or conceded by law, or something which a person can somehow lose.
“Human dignity is inherent in the human nature of every person. As the document states, ‘Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter’.”
Bishop Doran said Dignitas Infinita addresses a wide range of circumstances which contradict the dignity of a person or a group of persons.
These include sexual abuse, human trafficking, abortion, discrimination against migrants or people with disability and violence against women.
At a time when euthanasia and assisted suicide “are being actively promoted by vocal minorities in many countries including our own” he said Dignitas Infinita was particularly relevant.
He noted that the document emphasises that the dignity of those who are critically or terminally ill calls for all suitable and necessary efforts to alleviate their suffering through appropriate palliative care and by avoiding aggressive or disproportionate medical procedures.
“Human life carries a dignity that must always be upheld, that can never be lost, and that calls for unconditional respect. There are no circumstances under which human life would cease from being dignified and could, as a result, be put to an end,” the document states.
However, DignityUSA, which campaigns for LGBTQ+ people, accused Dignitas Infinita of undermining the integrity and human rights of transgender and non-binary people.
“It is shocking to see gender affirmation treatments classified as the same kind of threats to human dignity as war, impoverishment, human trafficking, and sexual abuse,” Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA’s executive director said.
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