VATICAN CITY, FEB 27, 2001 (VIS) - The Pontifical Academy for Life will hold its Seventh General Assembly in the Holy See Press Office from March 1 to 4 on the theme "The Culture of Life: Presuppositions and Dimensions," according to a communique released today.
The communique commented on last year's general assembly which was dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the 1995 Encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" (The Gospel of Life) and to a look at the current situation in the world of "the right to life." In this regard, there was also a review of the programs of action of the United Nations conferences held in recent years: Cairo in 1994 (Population and Development) and Beijing in 1995 (Conference on Women). The results of these studies were published last year by the academy in the English-language book, "'Evangelium Vitae': Five Years of Confrontation with Society."
It was noted that the results demonstrated "a prevalently negative thrust, moved by a strong culture of death which has become very aggressive over the past five years, especially through political support of international organizations, heedless of the demographic and moral damages which have been caused." The academy wishes this year, says the communique, to "enter into a period of positive reflection and to ask itself what must be the 'roots', the presuppositions, of a cultural and moral nature, to develop a culture of life, and what can be the prospects for a long term educational commitment guided by the charism of truth."
The academy, which Pope John Paul II established in 1994, hopes that the topics to be studied during the General Assembly "will lead to laying the foundations of a future in which culture, laws and actions will work to favor the life of every person."
Academy president, Juan de Dios Vial Correa, will conclude the assembly with a report on "John Paul II, The Pontiff of Life."
ACAD-V/GENERAL ASSEMBLY/VIAL CORREA VIS 20010227 (300)
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