Stresses Need for
Natural Solutions to Infertility
VATICAN, February 24, 2003
(LifeSiteNews.com) - In an address to the Ninth General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life today, Pope John Paul
II called on everyone to speak out against destructive research on human
embryos. "I am convinced, that no one, much less the Church, is
allowed to be silent in the face of certain results or pretexts of
experimentation on man," he said.
The Academy, meeting to discuss biomedical research, was told of "the
growing urgency to find 'natural' solutions to the problem of conjugal
infertility."
"I renew my heartfelt appeal," John Paul II stated, "that
scientific and biomedical research, while avoiding every
temptation to manipulate man, be faithfully dedicated to exploring ways and
resources to support human life, the cure of illnesses and solutions to the
ever new problems in the biomedical field." He emphasized that "the
Church respects and supports scientific research when it pursues an
authentically humanistic orientation, fleeing from every form of exploitation
or destruction of the human being and keeping itself free from the slavery of
political and economic interests."
The Pope stressed that "not only the goals, but also the methods and means
of research must always be respectful of the dignity of every human being, at
whatever stage of their development and in every phase of
experimentation."
See the full address (In Italian) at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/february/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20030224_pont-acad-life_it.html
