The dignity of all human life is reaffirmed in a new declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Dignitas Infinita, or infinite dignity, addresses many issues that the modern world faces such as gender theory, transgenderism, abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, surrogacy, human trafficking, war, digital violence, poverty, immigration and many others. The document explains how each of these violates the inherent dignity of human persons.

Human dignity is also reiterated, and it is emphasized that all people are made in the image and likeness of God — thus human dignity is inalienable. Dignitas Infinita details key violators of our dignity: 

• Abortion 
  • The evil of abortion is highlighted once again, explaining in no uncertain terms that abortion is the killing of an innocent human being.  
• Euthanasia and assisted suicide 
  • The dying must be treated with the utmost love and compassion. They may be given medication to relieve their pain and they should be given the sacraments. However, we do not have a right to death — only to life.  
• Surrogacy 
  • Surrogacy separates the sexual act from procreation. It treats women and children as commodities. 
• Gender ideology and transgender surgeries 
  • Gender theory attempts to eliminate sexual difference and separate gender from sex, representing grave error in denying the identity given to each person by the Creator.  
  • Sex change procedures “as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception” (60). 
• Human trafficking 
  • Human trafficking is a crime against humanity and dehumanizing to both victim and perpetrator. It includes labor and sex trafficking, and organ harvesting.  
• Marginalization of people with disabilities 
  • We live in a “throwaway culture” (53-54) that determines people’s value based on ability and utility. The Gospel makes it clear that the vulnerable have inalienable dignity in the eyes of God and deserve a place in society and the Church. 
• War 
  • Wars do not solve problems and create peace; rather, they cause significant loss of life for no perceivable good end. The declaration states “no war is worth the loss of the life of even one human being, a sacred being created in the image and likeness of the Creator” (38).
• Poverty
  • New forms of poverty are emerging because of the “obsession with reducing labor costs with no concern for its grave consequences,” (36). Laborers are not tools or objects, but human persons worthy of respect. 
• The travail of migrants 
  • It is essential that the inherent dignity of migrants is respected and that we remember that we are all equally loved by God. The declaration states “the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion” (40).  
• Violence against women and sexual abuse 
  • We must protect the dignity of women. We must also work to stop sexual abuse that primarily affects women. 
  • Sexual abuse leaves lasting scars on the victims. We must do everything to stop these acts from being committed and provide for victims to heal. 
• The danger of the digital world and loneliness 
  • The digital world offers more connectivity around the world but has created new challenges. People struggle with feeling disconnected from reality; we are facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.  
  • The digital world is also a place for pornographic content and cyberbullying. The declaration states that paradoxically, the more opportunities grow for making connections, the more people find themselves isolated and impoverished in interpersonal relationships (61). 

Dignitas Infinita makes it clear that we face many challenges that threaten or violate the dignity granted to each person by God.

The South Carolina Catholic Conference thanks the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith for this guidance on important issues and for reminding the world that all people have dignity despite their circumstances.

Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us! 

To read the full text of Dignitas Infinita, please click HERE.