Far from being a private or individual affair, Christian morality now becomes radically immersed in social concerns, creating communities hospitable to human life. Solidarity, that consistent echo in John Paul II's social doctrine, emerges once again, here as part of an overarching plea for defence and nurture of human life in all moments, in all circumstances, as central to Catholic life and teaching. That certainly places very traditional teaching in a new and rather bold context. The implementation now remains to be developed. In any case where an alternative punishment exists, a country is not justified in having recourse to capital punishment.
All emphases are to be found in the original.
See Evangelium Vitae , nn. This is not to say that the pope's perception of contemporary culture is unremittingly negative. This reinforces his foundational belief in the ongoing work of the Spirit of God against the forces of darkness and death and grounds his hope in a successful conclusion to the struggle at hand. Ronald Mercier SJ is professor of moral theology at Regis College in Toronto.