Vatican leaning toward support for genetically modified foods, says expert

Vatican City, Apr 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Noted Vatican watcher, Sandro Magister, of the online journal, L’Espresso, says in an upcoming column that the Vatican is leaning in favor of supporting genetically modified foods as a way to alleviate world hunger.

The debate surrounding such crops has lead to a confrontation between the United States, which promotes them as a way to fight hunger, and the European Union, which opposes them because of supposed danger to ecology.

According to Magister, this tendency can be observed in revelations published by the US Ambassador to the Holy See, James Nicholson, in his book, “The Long Road: the USA and the Holy See.”

Magister’s latest column, set to be released this Monday at www.chiesa.espressonline.it/english, underscores new areas of consensus between the US and the Vatican, such as the issue of genetically modified foods.

Nicholson appreciates “the openness and balance shown by the Holy See in organizing in November of 2003, through the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, an international conference on the issue.”

Magister says that a pronouncement by the Holy See on the subject is forthcoming, “but not for some time.”  Nevertheless, his article will point to comments made in the journal “Civilita Cattolica,” which often coincides with Vatican opinions, which show that Vatican is leaning in favor of genetically modified crops.