I have often written about the family becoming an endangered species. The family, we must be convinced, is a vital cell of society, in fact its nucleus, its very heart. These days, when questions connected with population growth are considered as secular concerns of the government, little heed is given to respect for both sexual morals and sexual ethics and of promoting greater justice so that dignity is given to life in all circumstances. At the same time, as concerns about health and the promotion of longevity through new scientific techniques gain much favor, among them cloning, genetic engineering and stem-cell research. On these issues we must take an intelligent and responsible stance with regard to such techniques, which are invasive of the right to life from its inception.
It must be stressed that ethics takes priority over technology—persons have primacy over things. Science is a tool invented by humanity for the purpose of deciphering the mechanisms of the human body and how to manipulate them. But, unfortunately, there is a potential for harm— for the products of science, knowledge and technology to wreak havoc on humanity. Social morality and ethics must set the limits for what is permissible in scientific discovery and the application of scientific knowledge.
Artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, embryonic research, freezing for future transfer, cloning, surrogate motherhood, termination of pregnancy are rife, as well as questions on when life takes place, and the right of the embryo to life. Question: may embryos be destroyed for the potential gain of others (e.g., to cure cancer, to replace deteriorating cells, etc.) or “fetal farming” be allowed for therapeutic purposes? Non-respect for the unborn leads to a reckless conclusion that life may be terminated at any time, sometimes ostensibly to alleviate suffering.
Even Pope Francis, when he was here in January, had some important words for the Philippines, which, like other developing countries, faces “a new colonialism,” one which hopes to breach the walls of national sovereignty, and occupy the hearts and minds of the Philippine people and bring them into line with the pervasive culture of death. Indeed, there are forces in the international community, primarily the United Nations and some well-funded non-governmental organizations, that apply great pressure on lawmakers “to adopt wholesale a legal worldview, which was decried as the “Culture of Death” by Saint John Paul II. He cautioned the Philippines about the mischievous misinterpretation of reproductive health and similar terms, by the UN, and praised the Philippines for being a great supporter of the “Culture of Life,” encouraging us to remain vigilant and prevent the destruction of human life,
Statistics show that the future of the American and European families are correlated with broken families and crime, drug abuse, promiscuity; including data on divorce rates and children born out of wedlock. We must bewail what is happening now, especially in Europe, which has been cited as a “war against parents.”
The Filipino family, and hence Philippine society is in a difficult transition period. The Philippines, like other Asian countries continues to value marriage between man and woman, the nuclear and extended family. However, globalization’s impact on poor families in Asia has resulted in broken families due to migration and overseas employment. Population-control programs are being foisted on the poor by the government. Thus, family values are being undermined, a “new morality” is being introduced in the traditional Asian psyche, damaging our sense of the sacred.
Indeed, Catholic social teaching stresses that the family is the foundation of society and the Church: “The family is the place where different generations come together and help one another to grow wiser and harmonize the rights of individuals with the demands of social life: as such it constitutes the basis of society” (Gaudium et Spes).
Pope Francis in his Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei stated that “the first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family…in the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents.”
Laws allowing divorce, contraception, same-sex marriage are attacks not just against the family, but against society…against the nation…against our global community. How can we fail to see that such a distorted sense of values is related to the loss of peace and joy in our world today?