Bažnyčia kviečia tarnauti gyvybei
The church invites to serve life

Summary/Abstract: Lithuania hurries on the way of democracy with the desire to become equal with the states of European Union. It has to correct and conform its laws with those of the states that have democratic experience. One them is the abolition of capital punishment to criminals. The President has already declared moratorium on the application of this law. There are discus sions going on about the validity of the law that allows destruction of unborn life (abortion). The Church says today that she is called with ever greater conviction to urge all with every possible means to protect human life and to defend it against every attempt upon it, regardless of its state or degree ot its development. Hence the author of this article has chosen by way of research to present the thought of the Church by what means we must serve human life. For this research he assigned these tasks for himself: first, to disclose the thoughts of Scripture about the preservation of human life; second, to present what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on the subject in question; third, to analyse the Church documents that concretely treat the the matter under consideration. To proceed with the scientific research, a method of analysis and synthesis has been chosen. The principal sources for the research were Sacred Scripture, Catechism of the Cath olic Church and the Church documents. The analysis taken of Church documents allowed to make these conclusions: 1. One of the primary sources on the preservation of human life is Sacred Scripture; 2. Another source on the subject in question is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Its principal thesis – human life must absolutely be respected from the moment of conception. Already from the first instant of human existence must the rights of a person be acknowledged to it, including the right of any in nnocent being to live; 3. The Vatican documents (decisions of II Vatican Council; encyclical of Pope John Paul II Evangelium Vitae and his Letter to Families) sheds light to all by the invitation to be concerned with the future of mankind. Summarizing conclusion: the Church invites the State to respect and protect the rights of human person.

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