Comece: note on the protection of animals It is necessary to promote animals’ protection, but not to the expense of human life. This, in brief, is the position of COMECE (the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community). In a statement released August 31 COMECE recalls that next September 8 the Plenary Assembly of the European Parliament will debate in second reading a draft directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (COD/2008/0211). “Animals are used in research for drug development, chemical toxicity and ecotoxicology, and product safety assessment (pesticides, food additives, cosmetics, or other substances with potential risks for human health)”, writes COMECE. One of the objectives of the directive is to replace animal testing with alternative methods. But some of these, continue the bishops in the statement, “could include tests based on the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC), obtained by the destruction of human embryos.” COMECE thus voiced concern, in particular over one provision of the draft directive: “Member States could be obliged to ensure that these alternative methods are applied”. The Alternative Testing Strategies – Progress Report 2009 of the European Commission gives examples of “alternative testing strategies” currently being developed. “From a total of 21, 5 strategies make use of hESC”, note the bishops. These technologies “have been financially supported by the EU through the 6th and 7th Framework Research Programmes”. Although in agreement with the need for the protection of animals, COMECE draws attention to the “fundamental difference in ‘dignity’ between animals and human beings”. COMECE therefore calls on Members of the European Parliament to explicitly exclude from the compulsory alternative testing methods, in the context of this Directive, those methods which involve the use of human embryonic stem cells”. This approach would serve “to promote those numerous alternative strategies for which there is general consensus”.France: cardinal Vingt-Trois – Hortefeux summitThe awaited meeting between French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux and the President of the French Bishops’ Conference card. André Vingt-Trois took place August 31 under the banner of “ongoing and relentless dialogue”. The meeting was prompted by the Church’s criticism of the government’s expulsion policy. “Our declarations must not be understood in political terms. It is not our intention to attack the President of the Republic, the Interior Minister, nor any other minister”. “”We are concerned about cases of Roma people living in precarious and miserable conditions in many regions of France”, for which “Christians have expressed their sympathy”. “We do not want to cause a political storm – His Eminence continued -. We wish to find suitable solutions for the people involved. Our aim is to help Roma people get out from these situations”. Thus, there is no “interventionist” turn in the policy of the French Catholic Church with regard to the political life of the country. “It is nonetheless true – added the archbishop – that whenever political action regards and has an impact on important areas of human life, we convey our position”. In a press conference held in the morning, Minister Hortefeux released the official “figures” on the “expulsion measures” adopted by the government led by president Nicolas Sarkozy. Since past July 28 French authorities dismantled 128 gypsy camps and deported 977 people to their Countries of origin, notably Romania. In accounting for the measures, minister Hortefuex said, “Protecting French people for insecurity” is France’s “moral obligation”. Switzerland: “twitter” pilgrimage to EinsiedelnOn Sunday August 29 the first pilgrimage organized through the social network ‘Twitter’ took place in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. For several hours some 60 people followed abbot Martin Werlen from Pfäffikon to the abbey, one of the major spiritual tourism destinations in Switzerland. It is the first pilgrimage of the kind organized by the abbot, and the first – representing a new experience – for many of the pilgrims, most of which youth. The guided visit to the church of the abbey by Father Werlen, was rather unconventional: for the occasion it was permitted to take pictures and receive real-time messages through the social network. The abbot of Einsiedeln explained the reason for the initiative. “Twitter is a communication tool. And in the field of communication abbeys have always been in the vanguard. Thus participating to and spreading this culture is natural”. Father Werlen conveyed his contentment for the event’s success: “there were people who would never have taken part in a pilgrimage otherwise. Many aren’t members of religious communities or don’t feel closely bound to the Church”.
