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“Cohesion and justice, solidarity and responsibility between the generations”: that’s the title of the address given by Cardinal Karl Lehmann, president of the German Episcopal Conference, to inaugurate the autumn plenary assembly of the German bishops on 22 September. The plenum will end on 25 September. Lehmann spoke of the relations between the generations and deplored “the modern mentality” that “reduces the human being to quasi-absolute self-determination”. He called for a revival of the “generational contract”, since “the burden for the generation not yet active in work falls in large part on the families that have the courage and strength to have several children”. In his view, “the role of the family”, and “a new ethical responsibility between the generations, aimed at the future and in particular at the maintenance of the living standards of future generations”, needs to be re-thought. Lehmann also urged that “every effort be made to introduce a renewal of the family” which would also comprise “the conditions of life of the modern family”, and that “fundamental convictions of ethical, intellectual and spiritual type be transmitted” to the young, because “solidarity between generations” is a fundamental value that transcends cultures: it is omnipresent”. The president of the German bishops also addressed a strong appeal to the ministers for research of the European Union, now meeting to discuss the controversial question of EU funding of research on stem cells. Calling a possible approval of the proposal “a disastrous signal for the defence of the embryo in Europe”, Lehmann asked for “a clear rejection” of the funding of such research, since otherwise “EU funds, and in the last analysis German tax revenue, would be used to fund a research project that presupposes the killing of human life. That is not justifiable from an ethical point of view. It also conflicts with German law”. The cardinal suggested, however, that research on stem cells that do not raise problems of an ethical nature could be promoted.
