Jewish, Catholic leaders agree: God is creator, life is sacred

Published: 2006-03-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Because God is the creator of human life, people cannot "decide its value or extent" as if they owned it, said members of a dialogue sponsored by the Vatican and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Meeting in Rome Feb. 26-28, members of the dialogue commission discussed issues related to human life and technology, particularly concerning the Catholic and Jewish positions on euthanasia. "We affirm the principles of our respective traditions that God is the creator and lord of all life and that human life is sacred," said a statement released March 1. "Because life is a divine gift to be respected and preserved, we perforce reject the idea of human ownership of life and of the right of any human party to decide its value or extent." Members of the dialogue specifically condemned "active euthanasia" as an "illegitimate human arrogation of an exclusive divine authority to determine the time of a person's death."

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