O MARY, TO YOU WE ENTRUST  
THE CAUSE OF LIFE

“The Lamb who was slain is alive, bearing the marks of his Passion in the splendour of the Resurrection. He alone is master of all the events of history: he opens its «seals» (cf. Rev 5:1-10) and proclaims, in time and beyond, the power of life over death. In the «new Jerusalem», that new world towards which human history is travelling, «death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away» (Rev 21:4). And as we, the pilgrim people, the people of life and for life, make our way in confidence towards «a new heaven and a new earth» (Rev 21:1), we look to her who is for us «a sign of sure hope and solace» (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church «Lumen Gentium», 68).

O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel  
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
thronghout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,  
the Creator and lover of life” ( Evangelium vitae, 105).

SUORE ROSMINIANE, VIA AURELIA 773

Friday, February 11, 2000

- 8:00 a.m. Holy Mass: Chapel of the Crucified - Suore Rosminiane  
President: His Eminence Cardinal Pio Laghi

- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast

- 9:20 a.m. Welcoming Remarks by the President of the Pontifical Council of Pastoral 
Health Care  
The Most Reverend Javier Lozano Barragán

- 9:30 a.m. Welcoming Remarks of the President of the Pontifical Academy for Life  
Prof. Juan de Dios Vial Correa

- 9:45 a.m. Introduction to the Conference by the Vice President of the Pontifical Academy
for Life  
The Most Reverend Elio Sgreccia

Morning Session  

- 10:00 a.m. The Defense of Life in the context of the International Politics and Regulations  
The Most Reverend Jean-Louis Tauran

- 10:20 a.m. The Evolution of the Legislations in the European Intitutions concerning 
the Right to Life and Biomedicine  
Hon. Carlo Casini

- 10:40 a.m. The Evolution of Laws with reference to Right to Life, to Family Planning 
and to Artificial Procreation in Latin America  
Prof. Hugo Obiglio

- 11:00 a.m. Coffee Break

- 11:20 a.m. Orientations of Legislations in Central and Southern Africa in the subject of the  
Right to Life, to Procreation and to Birth Rate

- 11:20 a.m. for the Portuguese-speaking countries: The Most Reverend Damião Franklin

- 11:40 a.m. for the French-speaking countries: Monsignor Jean-Marie Mpendawatu

- 12:00 noon for the English-speaking countries: Dr. Lawrence Adekoya

- 12:20 p.m. Discussion

- 1:00 p.m. Lunch

Afternoon Session

- 3:30 p.m. The Evolution of Thought and of Laws in Arab and Islamic Africa  
Dr. Farag Mounir

- 3:50 p.m. The more recent Spanish Experience concerning the Legislation on Abortion  
Prof. Gonzalo Herranz

- 4:10 p.m. The Portuguese Experience in the subject of Legislation on Abortion  
Prof. Daniel Serrão

- 4:30 p.m. The Connected Problems with the New Legislation on Abortion in Germany  
Prof. Christian Starck

- 4:50 p.m. Coffee Break

- 5:10 p.m. Discussion

- 5:40 p.m. Academician Communications (of 10 minutes each)

- 7:30 p.m. Supper

Saturday, February 12, 2000

- 8:00 a.m. Holy Mass: Chapel of the Crucified - Suore Rosminiane  
President: The Most Reverend Julian Herranz

- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast

Morning Session

- 9:30 a.m. The Imperfect Laws and the Responsibility of Legislators  
The Most Reverend Tarcisio Bertone

- 9:50 a.m. Natural Law and the Defense of Human Life in “Evangelium vitae”  
Prof. Wolfgang Waldstein

- 10:10 a.m. Coffee Break

- 10:30 a.m. The Polish Experience regarding to Legislation on Abortion  
Hon. Alicja Grzeskowiak

- 11:50 a.m. The Italian Experience with the Legislation on Artificial Procreation  
Prof. Francesco DÂ’Agostino

- 12:10 p.m. Discussion

- 1:00 p.m. Lunch

Afternoon Session

- 3:30 p.m. New Social Health Care Problems in Asia  
The Most Reverend Thumma Bala

- 3:50 p.m. Cultures and Legislations in Japan with respect to Human Life  
Prof. Kiyoshi Aoki

- 4:10 p.m. Culture and Legislations in China with respect to Human Life

- 4:10 p.m. for the Continental China: Rev. Stephen Lee

- 4:30 p.m. for Taiwan: Rev. Louis Aldrich

- 4:50 p.m. Coffee Break

- 5:10 p.m. The Difficult Process of Legislative Change in Ukraine  
Prof. Ivan Luts  

- 5:30 p.m. Legislations and Jurisprudence in USA and Canada with regard to Respect of  
Human Life  
Prof. Carl Anderson

- 5:50 p.m. The Evolution of Laws in Australia with regard to Euthanasia and the Defence  
of Life  
Dr. John Fleming

- 6:10 p.m. Academician Communications (of 10 minutes each)

- 7:30 p.m. Supper

Sunday Morning, February 13, 2000

- 8:00 a.m. Holy Mass: Chapel of the Crucified - Suore Rosminiane  
President: His Eminence Cardinal Paul Poupard

- 9:00 a.m. Breakfast

- 9:30 a.m. Conference on the Pontificate of John Paul II: “The Pontificate of the Defense  
of Life and the Responsible Procreation”  
The Most Reverend Andreas Laun

- 10:30 a.m. Coffee and immediate Leaving for St. PeterÂ’s Basilica

- 11:00 a.m. Visit to St. PeterÂ’s Basilica in order to get the Jubilee Indulgence  
Please, take with you the Guide-booklet “Pellegrini in Preghiera” for obtaining the Plenary Indulgence

- 1:00 p.m. Lunch

Sunday Afternoon, February 13, 2000

- 3:30 p.m. Begin visiting the Basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and 
St. Paul Outside the Wall  
Please, bring with you the Guide-Booklet “Pellegrini in Preghiera” for acquiring the Plenary Indulgence

- 7:30 p.m. Supper

Monday, February 14, 2000

Commemoration Day of Fifth Anniversary of “Evangelium vitae”  
(With mutual Consent of Pontifical Council for the Family, Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Health Care and Pontifical Academy for Life)

(NEW HALL OF SYNOD)

Morning:

- 7:00 a.m. Holy Mass: Chapel of the Crucified - Suore Rosminiane  
President: The Most Reverend Elio Sgreccia

- 7:50 a.m. Breakfast

- 8:10 a.m. Leaving for the Vatican City and Meeting by New Hall of Synod*

- 9:00 a.m. Introductory Remarks  
The Most Reverend Elio Sgreccia

- 9:30 a.m. The Pastoral Care of Life and Family according to Evangelium vitae: 5 Years of  
Difficult Confrontation  
His Eminence Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo

-----------------------------------------------

- 10:15 a.m. The Culture of Life and the Culture of Death according to “Evangelium vitae”  
The Most Reverend Javier Lozano Barragán

- 11:00 a.m. The Anthropology of “Evangelium vitae”
Prof. Robert Spaemann

The Audience of the Holy Father has been requested

Afternoon:

- 2:30 p.m. Visit to Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

- 5:30 p.m. Return by Bus to Casa Generalizia - Suore Rosminiane or Free time for visiting  
privately (at one’s own expense) Rome, using the Tourist-Guide “Pellegrini A Roma”

- 7:30 p.m. Supper by Casa Generalizia - Suore Rosminiane

List of Speakers

- His Eminence Cardinal Pio Laghi, President of the Congregation for Catholic Education of Seminaries and Instituites of Studies

- His Eminence Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the  
Family

- His Eminence Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council of Culture

- The Most Reverend Jean-Louis Tauran, Secretary for Relation with the States - SecretaryÂ’s
Office of the Holy See

- The Most Reverend Javier Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Health Care

- The Most Reverend Julián Herranz, President of the Pontifical Council for Interpretation of
the Legislative Texts

- The Most Reverend Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith

- The Most Reverend Thumma Bala, Bishop of the Diocese of Warangal (India)

- The Most Reverend Damião António Franklin, Auxiliary Bishop and General Vicar of the Diocese of Luanda (Angola) and Rector of the Catholic University of Luanda

- The Most Reverend Andreas Laun, Auxilary Bishop of the Diocese of Salzburg (Austria)

- Prof. Juan de Dios Vial Correa, Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and
President of the Pontifical Academy for Life

- The Most Reverend Elio Sgreccia, Director of the Institute of Bioethics, Catholic 
University of the Sacred Heart in Rome and Vice President of the Pontifical Academy for Life

- Dr. Lawrence Adedeji Adekoya, National Coordinator of “Human Life Protection League” 
(Nigeria).

- Rev. Louis Aldrich, Professor of Theology at the University “Fu Jen” (Taipei, Taiwan)

- Prof. Carl Anderson, Vice President and Professor of the John Paul II Pontifical Institute
for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington D.C. (USA)

- Prof. Kiyoshi Aoki, Professor of Life Sciences and Neurology at Sophia University of Tokyo

- Hon. Carlo Casini, President of the Italian Movement for Life

- Prof. Francesco DÂ’Agostino, Professor of Philosophy of Law at the University of 
“Tor Vergata” in Rome

- Dr. John Fleming, Director of “Southern Cross” Bioethics Institue in Plympton (Australia)

- Hon. Alicja Grzeskowiak, President of the Senate of Poland

- Prof. Gonzalo Herranz, Director of the Department of Bioethics at the University of 
Navarra (Spagna)

- Rev. Stephen Lee, Defender of the Bond by Diocesan Tribunal of Hong Kong

- Prof. Ivan Luts, Professor and President of the Medical College in Lviv (Ukraine)

- Dr. Farag Mounir, Director of Center “Saint Joseph for the Family” in Cairo (Egypt)

- Rev. Msgr. Jean-Marie Mpendawatu, Official of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health Care

- Prof. Hugo Obiglio, Director of Center of Medical Bioethics at Catholic University of  
Buenos Aires and Consultor of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health Care

- Prof. Daniel Serráo, Professor of Medical Ethics at University of Porto (Portugal)

- Prof. Robert Spaemann, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of University at Munich (Germany)

- Prof. Christian Starck, Professor of Constitutional Law in the University of Göttingen (Germany)

- Prof.Wolfganga Waldstein, Professor Emeritus of Law at University of Salzburg (Austria)  
and Common Law at the Pontifical University of Lateran (Vatican City)