Drawing from Scripture and tradition, the Catholic Church teaches that we must respect life from conception until natural death.” This teaching rejects procedures of abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. It also affirms the dignity of dying with faith, sacraments, and care. Let’s take a look.
What is the “Culture of Death?
The mindset that people are disposable is on the rise in the U.S. The phrase “culture of death” comes directly from St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), where he contrasts it with the “culture of life.”
St. John Paul II described the “culture of death” as a modern mentality that treats human life as disposable, undermines its dignity, and elevates personal autonomy or utility above the sacredness of life. He contrasted this with the “culture of life,” rooted in the Gospel, which reveres life from conception to natural death. John Paul II warned that contemporary society increasingly marks itself by:
- Abortion and euthanasia: He called them “crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize” because they directly attack innocent life.
- He described a worldview in which people are valued for their productivity, health, or convenience rather than for their inherent dignity.
- He wrote that the culture of death is characterized by choosing and intending the death of powerless victims — the unborn, the sick, the elderly.
John Paul II’s teaching on the culture of death is a cornerstone of Catholic moral reflection: it names abortion and euthanasia as emblematic of a society that has lost reverence for life, and calls believers to build a culture of life through prayer, witness, and action.
Abortion and Assisted Suicide
Both have risen in recent years, though their growth patterns differ. Abortion numbers in the U.S. increased after 2020 despite new bans. Assisted suicide grows at a slower pace in the U.S. In Canada, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) now accounts for almost 1 in 20 deaths in the country.
- 2024: About 1,038,100 clinician-provided abortions occurred in states without total bans — a slight increase from 2023.
- 2023 vs. 2020: Abortions rose 11% compared to 2020, showing resilience despite the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
- Interstate travel: Roughly 155,000 people crossed state lines for abortion care in 2024, nearly double the number in 2020
- Assisted Suicide: Legal in 12 U.S. jurisdictions: Including California, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, New Jersey, New Mexico, Hawaii, Colorado, Maine, Montana, Delaware (effective 2026), and D.C.
- Legislative momentum for assisted suicide in the U.S. is growing, with Illinois poised to become the first Midwest state to legalize MAID. Public support is high — about 71% of Americans favor legalization.
- U.S. growth in assisted suicide is tied to state-by-state legislation.
The Catholic View
John Paul II stated this very clearly in Evangelium Vitae:
“The culture of death” is a modern mentality that treats human life as disposable, undermines its dignity, and elevates personal autonomy or utility above the sacredness of life. He contrasted this with the “culture of life,” rooted in the Gospel, which reveres life from conception to natural death.”
We are all children of God and made in God’s image. We must uphold the dignity of every human person and make it our primary consideration, because everyone has value.
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Peace
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