John Paul II, the right to life and abortion

Nicolas Bauer

doi:10.21697/CSP.2023.27.1.15

Published: 2023-12-29

No. 27 (2023)

John Paul II, the right to life and abortion

Nicolas Bauer

Christianity-World-Politics

Section: Miscellanea

https://doi.org/10.21697/CSP.2023.27.1.15

Abstract

John Paul II formulated the prohibition of killing an innocent person in terms of natural Human Rights. He advocated in favour of the right to life of unborn children, through diplomacy and action at the United Nations. The Polish Pope opposed both the claims and the methods of the pro-abortion lobby. This article examines news of this worldwide battle, analysing both Human Rights Law and the power relations surrounding abortion. Nearly thirty years after the Cairo Conference (1994), unborn children have not been excluded from the protection of the right to life and an international obligation to legalize abortion has never been created. However, the assaults of the pro-abortion lobby are as strong as during the 1990s. The entryism of this lobby has even created dysfunctions in the international institutions themselves, thus affecting and losing their impartiality.

Download files

PDF_EN

Citation rules

Bauer, N. (2023). John Paul II, the right to life and abortion. Christianity-World-Politics, (27), 254–263. https://doi.org/10.21697/CSP.2023.27.1.15

Cited by / Share

References

American Convention on Human Rights (1969), San José, Costa Rica, 22 November 1969.
Google Scholar

Bauer N. (2021), “Conflicts of Interests at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,” ECLJ website, March.
Google Scholar

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“European Convention on Human Rights”) (1950), Rome, Italy, 4 November.
Google Scholar

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), New York, United States of America, 20 November 1989.
Google Scholar

Dupuy A. (2014), Le courage de la vérité – Jean-Paul II et la diplomatie pontificale. Les grands dossiers, Les Éditions du Cerf.
Google Scholar

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) (2004), Vo v. France [GC], No. 53924/00, 8 July.
Google Scholar

ECHR (2010), A, B and C v. Ireland [GC], No. 25579/05, 16 December.
Google Scholar

ECHR (2012), Costa v. Italy, No. 54270/10, 28 August.
Google Scholar

ECLJ report (2021), The financing of UN experts, September.
Google Scholar

Human Rights Council of the United Nations (2016), Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, A/HRC/31/57.
Google Scholar

Interamerican Court of Human Rights (2021), Manuela v. Salvador, No. 13.069, 2 November.
Google Scholar

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), New York, United States of America, 16 December.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1979), John Paul II’s, Homily, Nowy Targ, Poland, 8 June.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1980), John Paul II’s speech at the European Court of Human Rights, 10 November.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1981), Familiaris Consortio, 22 November.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1982), Mass for families, Madrid, Spain, 2 November 1982 (free translation).
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1987), Address to Participants in the Study Conference on “The Right to Life in Europe”, 18 December.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1993), Veritatis Splendor, 6 August.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (1995), Evangelium vitae, 25 March.
Google Scholar

John Paul II (2000), Address of the Holy Father to the new ambassador of New Zealand to the Holy See, 25 May.
Google Scholar

Mémeteau G. (1985), Le droit de la vie dans les enseignements pontificaux, Téqui.
Google Scholar

Philippe-Ignace André-Vincent (1983), Les droits de l'homme dans l'enseignement de Jean-Paul II, éditions LGDJ.
Google Scholar

Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (1994), Cairo, 5-13 September.
Google Scholar

The Holy See (1992), Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Google Scholar

World Health Organization (2021), “Voluntary contributions by fund and by contributor, 2020,” A74/INF./4, 7 May 2021.
Google Scholar