ZAŁOŻENIA ANTROPOLOGICZNO-SPOŁECZNE STANOWISKA KOŚCIOŁA WOBEC WSPÓŁCZESNYCH ZAGADNIEŃ DEMOGRAFICZNYCH

The above analysis constitutes the basis for believing that controversies around population issues between the Apostolic See and developed countries arise from different answers to the question who a man is, and from different concepts of humanity and society. The Apostolic See, as we have noticed, does not negate the existence of serious population problems connected with high natural increase. It only conseąuently demands to remember that we talk about a human person, a being of great dignity and not about impersonal numbers presenting unspecified population (according to a statement of a certain person from Asia: Women have children and not a population). A human person in a Christian anthropology is a creature with a body and soul, having a central place among other creatures and of eternal destination. Christian belief in the dignity of human person, resulting from faith in the creation of human being and likeness to God as well as from his salvation by Jesus Christ, was rationalized in the teaching of St. Thomas on human person. The dignity of human person is based on the fact that this person is endowed with mind and free will. According to the above mentioned assumptions about the dignity of human person: (1) it is contradictory - in John Paul ITs opinion - to introduce any activities that discriminate a human person on the basis of age, sex, religion or nationality. Human dignity and value is unconditioned and inalienable. (2) Human life from conception to natural death is sacred. It is inadmissible to carry out any programs which even for higher reasons allow for abortion or euthanasia. (3) Human rights are inborn and transcendent in relation to any legal order (constitutional). Neither international rights nor national ones may be in contradiction to basic human rights. (4) The basic unity of human species requires everyone to have access to the process of building a community, which is free from injustice and dishonesty and which protects common good. We cannot tolerate dishonesty and injustice in relations between poor and rich countries. And we cannot tolerate the situation when poor countries are forced to implement population control programs because of fears to violate the population balance between developed and developingcountries.