Science without ethics 'out of bounds,' says Vatican official

Rome, Italy, Nov 17, 2008 / 23:17 pm

In an article published by the L’Osservatore Romano, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, said science that is for the purpose of experimenting with human life without any ethics “puts itself out of bounds” and lends itself to be suspect of being at the service of those in power rather than of the good of all of humanity.

After noting that the Church is an expert in humanity, “as Paul VI said before the United Nations,” and that throughout her history she has defended human life and dignity, the archbishop underscored that human life “possesses a sacredness for Christians because it is first of all a mystery, from its beginnings until its end.” In its very nature, the archbishop noted, it is beyond comprehension, and for this reason “it must be respected by all.”

“When we speak of human life, we are not dealing with material that can be manipulated, but rather with intrinsic dignity that deserves respect at the very least,” he said.

Just as states are capable of defending and promoting human life and of expressing an opinion on issues related to it, “in the same way the freedom of the Church to express her own teaching cannot be limited by any scientist or scholar who thinks we should not talk about these issues,” Archbishop Fisichella stated.

“If other people find their certainties in science, they will not find opposition in us,” he added.

“We would like to respectfully remind them that science also does not have definitive certainties and that the mystery of human existence, with its unavoidable questions about its meaning, is also valid for them.  They don’t need to necessarily listen to the Catholic Church, but if they to keep the door of their reason open and give room to the force of reason, that is enough,” the archbishop explained.