Mexican bishops establish new Bioethics Committee to enlighten scientific reflection

Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 7, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Mexican Bishops Conference established a new Bioethics Committee last week that will help the bishops in their task of “enlightening consciences about the ethical implications of intervening in ecosystems and in the life of human beings.”

Bishop Rodrigo Aguilar Martinez of Matehuala and President of the Bishops Committee on the Family, which will oversee the new committee, told reporters specialists from various fields, both scientific and humanistic, will be part of the committee.

“This committee will be made up of 24 intellectuals of different disciplines as permanent members, and by 10 prestigious bioethicists of different nationalities as honorary members,” the bishop reported.

Likewise, he underscored that its objectives will be “to carry out an interdisciplinary study on bioethical issues; to be in permanent contact with other civil or religious, national or international centers of bioethical reflection, and to promote, in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church, a culture of life.”

According to Bishop Aguilar, “the rapid development of biomedical sciences and technologies applied to human life and health poses diverse ethical questions. Together with freedom of research—which should be encouraged—it is necessary to insist on the ethical and social responsibility implied in scientific activity.”

The Church is “committed to the promotion of a ‘culture of life.’  The appearance of bioethics constitutes an environment of interdisciplinary study that can make dialogue possible between believers and non-believers, as well as between believers of diverse religions, about ethical problems that affect the life of man,” Bishop Aguilar added.