The Church must look with lucidity at the ethical questions posed by science. This is essentially the message sent by Pope Francis, in a video published Tuesday, March 8 in a new “Pope Video,” produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
“Biotechnological applications must always be employed on the basis of respect for human dignity”, so explains Francis. In particular, it addresses the issue of research using embryos.
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“Human embryos cannot be treated as disposable material or as waste”, insists the pope, considering that they too are part of the “culture of waste” which he regularly denounces. “We cannot continue to spread this culture which is doing so much damage,” he adds.
Don’t “be an ostrich”
“It is clear that science has progressed and that today bioethics presents a series of problems that must be answered”, also affirms the pope, adding that it is necessary to avoid, in the face of these ” problems “from ” to bury one’s head in the sand “.
“It’s not about slowing down technological progress. No. It is a question of supporting it and protecting both human dignity and progress. In other words, human dignity should not pay the price for progress,” still insists the pope. By warning that “economic profit” does not become a condition of biomedical research.
“Let us pray that, faced with the new challenges of bioethics, Christians will always promote the defense of life through prayer and social commitment”, concludes Francis.