Fr. Shenan Boquet joins us to explore St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life). He explains why the document remains a foundational guide for the Catholic Church and the global pro-life movement 30 years later. Fr. Boquet explains how John Paul II prophetically identified modern confusion about freedom and autonomy as the roots of the “culture of death.”

Listeners will learn how Evangelium Vitae connects issues such as abortion, contraception, euthanasia, gender ideology, and human dignity under a single Catholic vision of life. The conversation also covers how to build a “culture of life” in daily practice through prayer, formation, and public witness.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Historical context: How the 1991 Synod of Bishops led to Evangelium Vitae (1995).
• Audience: Why encyclicals are addressed to the whole Church
• Freedom and truth: John Paul II’s warning against autonomy detached from truth.
• Culture of Life vs. Culture of Death: How societies either protect or destroy human dignity.
• Abortion and Contraception: The false belief that contraception prevents abortion—and why both stem from the same mindset.
• Prophetic relevance: Connections to current issues like gender ideology, AI, and bioethics.
• Living the Gospel of Life: Practical ways Catholics can defend and witness to life today.

Evangelium Vitae text: Evangelium Vitae (25 March 1995)

Fr. Boquet's article on Evangelium Vitae: Respect Life Month 2025: The Message of Evangelium Vitae | Human Life International