Germany, a dangerous decision” “” “

The German national ethical Council – a consultative body on bioethical issues formed of 23 experts both in the scientific and juridical and moral fields – has expressed a positive opinion on the importation of embryonal stem cells for research purposes. The decision, reached on 29 November, has re-ignited the debate on bioethics and the proposal to amend the German law on the protection of the embryo. It has also aroused negative reactions on the part of the Churches. However, according to Bishop Gerhard Fürst, president of the Bioethics Commission of the German Episcopal Conference and himself a member of the ethical Council, the positive opinion is not tantamount to a binding decision, in view of the fact that it is Parliament that is called to decide on the matter. “The publication of the consultative results of the national ethical Council should not be misunderstood as if it were a decision”, points out Fürst, since, according to the announcement made by the German government, “any decision banning the importation of embryonal stem cells is up to the Bundestag to make, probably in its session on 30 January 2002”. On the other hand, within the Council itself, as shown both by the episcopal and the government sources, two different lines of argument were registered. More precisely, Fürst explains that one of them (comprising 9 members) rejects categorically the importation of embryonal stem cells, while even those (i.e. the remaining 14 members of the Council) “who favour such importation, require it to be subjected to strict conditions.” As pointed out by the government communiqué, the request of the 9 members contrary to the majority opinion was that “of renouncing importation until the end of 2003, with the aim of trying to achieve the objectives pursued by biomedical research in other ways”. “The point of view of the Catholic Church” as regards “research on the embryo”, continues the bishop, “is one of condemnation, since this type of research is contrary both to the dignity of man and to the dignity of human life that has the right to be protected right from the moment of conception”. As regards the forthcoming vote in the Bundestag, he points out that “many contributions are at the disposal of MPs to help them reach their decision, in particular the ‘Report on research on stem cells’ and the Commission set up by the Bundestag itself to examine the ‘Law and ethics of modern medicine'”. This Commission in turn decided, by a majority, that “the use of human embryos for research purposes, even if it occurs abroad, is unacceptable from an ethical point of view and not sufficiently well-founded from a scientific point of view”. Other exponents of the Catholic Church have also intervened in the debate, including the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner who stressed: “Man is developed as a human person right from the moment of his conception, he does not become one”. And he continued: “The Church must reject the decision of the ethical Council” since “the importation of human embryonal cells contravenes the fundamental values of the dignity of man”, and “all the attempts to reconcile the human dignity of the embryo with a ‘graduality’ or ‘dependence on development’ have been shown to be misguided’. Man, he said, is a human person right from the start, and all the positions that fail to recognize this “lead to indifference and the arbitrary power to decide on the life of man at discretion”. “It is therefore insignificant – Meisner pointed out – for the dignity of man how ‘technically’ the act of procreation has progressed: it is from the fusion of egg cell and semen that originates a new human being, to whom is due, right from the moment of conception, unlimited human dignity and all the rights of man. If this no longer holds good, we relinquish all the ethical foundations of our society”. “It is therefore deplorable, concluded the Cardinal, “that the national ethical Council did not find the courage to trace clear delimitations to the question. It is to be hoped that Parliament will ignore this recommendation”. Patrizia Collesi