4. THE THEOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE VARIOUS CONCEPTS OF HUMAN DIGNITY IN
4.2. GAUDIUM ET SPES: THE DOMINANT PRINCIPAL THEORY OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND
The historical perspectives of the institution and promulgation of Gaudium et Spes took place almost at the middle of the twentieth century.789 This was the time of the opening of a new era, i.e. the end of the Second World War at the international level, the disintegration of European colonialism and the rise of nationalism in Africa.790 There was an awareness of the scientific and technological advancements in almost all fields of human life.791 Progress in the twentieth century brought about the existence of massive weapons of mass destruction, nuclear bombs, high explosives, biological weapons and many other sophisticated military weapons aimed at the human person.792 The dawn of such weaponry gave rise to various wars in various parts of the world.793 Such military ordnance left a profound mark on society, to the extent that the human being became a victim of technology, the product of the human’s own making. Africa experienced the worst scenario, genocide, poverty, whether self- inflicted or not, curable and incurable diseases, human moral decadence under the leadership
789 Hincks, M., (2014), Commenting on Gaudium et Spes, The Importance of Gaudium et Spes in our Times, Carrollton: Opus Angelorum Inc, Article 10 of GS. In the introductory remarks the Council sets the stage for the subsequent sections stressing the fact that in the face of modern developments there is a growing body of men who are asking the most fundamental of all questions: What is Man? What is the meaning of suffering, evil and death….? What can man contribute to society? What can he expect from it? And what happens after this earthly life is ended?
790 McDonagh, E., (1991), The Church in the Modern World in Adrian Hastings, (Ed), Modern Catholicism:
Vatican II and After, London: Oxford University Press, 96-100.
791 Hincks, M., (2014), Vatican II: The Importance of Gaudium et Spes in our Times, Carrollton: Opus Angelorum Inc, Article 10 of GS.
792 Vatican II, (1965), Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, London:
Catholic Truth Society, 9-14.
793 Ibid.
of dictatorial regimes and the sporadic rise of freedom and democracy.794 The world scenario and the African situation presents the general historical perspectives and the problems that existed, which prompted the Council Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to deal with the human situation.795 There was a general awareness of the appalling human situation in all fields of life, which gave rise to the shift in the life of the church, i.e. from the re-construction and the renewal of the church in matters of church doctrine, to something very new, the pastoral concern which dealt with concrete realities of human life and the human situation.796 Professor Riccardi’s remarks on Gaudium et Spes concluded with the following statement:
“Is it not therefore the role of the church to call humanity to an immense crusade against misery, to promote a general mobilisation of spiritual and material energies for the fight in which the dignity of our species is at stake?”797
In his presentation, Riccardi vividly confirmed the geopolitical terms of the Church, stating that the Church ought to be attentive to the human situation in the world, thereby promulgating the imperialistic interest of the Church in the world.798 In this regard, the Church had to focus on the holistic human situation in the world. While the common agenda of the Council was centred on the holistic development of the human person, there was need for the Church to be in solidarity with the entire human family, specifically the most vulnerable groups of people in the society, whose existence depended on others including children with disabilities. In view of the scientific and technological advancements in the field of medicine and health, there was a general plea for, collective effort to address certain medical dilemmas of human life.799 Such a reality in the medical field gave rise to the review of moral theology’s practical contribution on such issues of medical dilemmas. Bioethics came about as a means and forum to address such issues of human life on the academic and
794 Carney, J.J., (2014), A Brief History of Ethnic Violence in Rwanda and Africa’s Great Lakes Region, in a Journal of Africa Ecclesial Review, Creighton: Oxford University Press, 10-50. In this article, there is a historical sad story of Africa that presents the military fights that led to the death of millions of Africans through the usage of dangerous weapons of mass destruction manufactured to destroy the human person. This is the dark side of human development in Africa at a time around the Second Vatican Council.
795 Hincks, M., (2014), Vatican II: The Importance of Gaudium et Spes in our Times, Carrollton: Opus Angelorum Inc, Article 10 of GS. The Council fathers point out further the need for all of us to have a balanced view of reality of evil and sin in the world, for a monumental struggle against the powers of darkness pervades the whole history of mankind.
796 Ibid.
797 Riccardi, A., (2005), The call to justice: The Legacy of Gaudium et Spes. Forty Years Later: A Historical Perspective and Gaudium et Spes, A paper presented at the Vatican on 17th March, 2005. 3.
798 Ibid.
799 Gaudium et Spes, Article Nos. 74-75.
scientific level.800 Per St Thomas Aquinas, as quoted at one of the international conferences:
A small error in the beginning leads to a multitude of errors in the end. 801
In view of the situation of children with disabilities, the positive and negative schools of thought have contrasted each other regarding the human identity of the infants in question.802 Different ethical systems have come up with unique conclusions, most of which positively pointed to the development of the recognition of the children with disabilities as human persons, while on the negative side of scholarship, an anti-life philosophy developed that categorically denied the human identity of these infants.803 Severe disabilities among children are a reality and most families who face the birth of a child with disabilities are left in a situation of uncertainty not knowing what to do. Realities of life of that nature gave rise to new ways of dealing with issues of dilemma hence it is from this point that bioethics emerged, defining, and determining how physicians ought to treat every human person with respect, no matter how sick or small, weak or disabled they may be.804 Erroneous theories have largely put children with disabilities in a precarious position and they become one of the most vulnerable groups of people in society. If they are denied of human identity, they can be abused and disposed of, like any other thing that is a non-being.
In the process of addressing the sanctity of life ethics, the international conference on bioethics came up with ground- breaking theological and scientific theories upon which all debates on medical dilemmas facing the human person ought to be based.805 The conference therefore affirmed that human life begins to exist at fertilisation in the woman’s fallopian tube as a simple embryo called the zygote.806 This was to affirm and confirm that fertilisation of the female cell marks the beginning of the existence of the human being, in the form of a human embryo, that has the potential of growth and development in all faculties of human
800 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, (2008), Instruction Dignitas Personae, On Certain Bioethical Questions, Rome: Article Nos. 11-35.
801 Irving, D.N., (2001), Quoting Aquinas, T., at the International Conference: International Federation of Catholic Medical Association and Matercare International, On “The future of obstetrics and Gynaecology …:
The impact of International Bioethics on the Sanctity of Life,” Rome. Italy, 28th June.
802 Ibid.
803 Ibid.
804 Furton, E.J., (Ed), (1999), Ethical Principles in Catholic Health Care, Boston: The National Catholic Bioethics Center, Vol. 1, 63. Shannon gave a standard definition: “Autonomy is a form of personal liberty of action in which the individual determines his or her course of action in accordance with a plan of his or her own choosing.”
805 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, (1988), Donum Vitae, On the Instruction on the Respect for Human Life at its Origins and for the Dignity of Procreation, February 22, AAS 80,70-102.
806 Irving, D.N., (2001), in http://www.lifeissues.net p.1, International Federation of Catholic Medical Association and MaterCare International. Rome: Italy, 28th June, 2001. Posted: 11:15am, 2011/11/16.
life.807 The second basic theological conclusion drawn by implication is that this human embryo, who is now a person, is created in the image and likeness of God. No matter how it looks, no matter the shape it has assumed, it is created in God’s image and likeness.808 It therefore constitutes the soul. It was from this point of view that the church, through Gaudium et Spes, places itself at the centre of the human story. The Church realised the tremendous discrimination towards children with disabilities.809 There has been a great appeal for the promotion of human rights, particularly the rights of the needy people in society. The constitution of the Church in the modern world stated that:
“The Church, therefore, by the virtue of the Gospel committed to her, proclaims the rights of mankind; she acknowledges and greatly esteems the dynamic movements of today by which these rights are everywhere fostered.”810
Right from the onset of Gaudium et Spes, the Church has become more actively involved in the various issues of raising the problems facing the human being, groups of people who are vulnerable including the plight of children with disabilities. It is pertinent to this debate to consider Gaudium et Spes as the reference point to the subject matter. Gaudium et Spes sets a theological ground and basis for highly scientific and theological debate facing children with disabilities. The document will act and be the basis for the evaluation of the different concepts of human dignity, as presented in the third chapter.
4.3. GAUDIUM ET SPES AS ONE OF THE BASIC REFERENCE DOCUMENTS ON THE