Hands off the embryo

Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, president of the French Bishops’ Conference, took action in first person. On March 28 the debate on the bill – adopted by the Senate in December – that authorizes research on the embryo and on embryo stem cells was discussed in the National Assembly. The final vote of the Assembly is tabled for Tuesday April 2. The French episcopate voiced its position on this issue on several occasions. In an interview to "Radio Notre-Dame", Archbishop Vingt-Trois took a stronger stand. His Eminence argued that if the bill were adopted, "it would be a serious mistake in proportion to the balance of our society: when the green light is given to embryo researches of all sorts, it means that the embryo is considered less than nothing, or rather, something confined to laboratory use". Indeed, the Church’s greatest concern is that lifting the ban on embryo research risks "giving free rein to all kind of experiments". In that case, the legal statute of the embryo "will be dearly compromised". Shedding light on investments. The green light of the Senate, under scrutiny by the national Assembly, is all the more incomprehensible given that in clinical trials for new drugs the international scientific community now recommends reprogrammed stem cells discovered by Nobel laureates Nobel Gurdon e Yamanaka. To this regard the Cardinal affirms: "there is no proved scientific justification" for authorizing research on human embryos. It’s a true deceit to the detriment of all those who were led to believe that such experiments would lead to treatments to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Such experiments "will lead nowhere", he added. "It has been reiterated over and over". Thus a legitimate question: "Whose interest is it? It is the interest of those who benefit from diverting research funding and grants to a given laboratory". In clear words, the archbishop specifies that "a clear and transparent" information on this aspect is lacking, and calls for investigation on "economic investments in pharmaceutical research labs".The request of a States-General. In December the French bishops voiced their opposition to the law adopted by the Senate. In a statement, the bishops’ spokesperson, Monsignor Bernard Podvin, mentioned "Art. 46 of the 2011 Law on Bioethics" which stipulates that all reform proposals involving ethics along with societal questions raised by the progress in the field of biology, medicine and health ought to be the object of public debate in the shape of a States-General".The denial of ethics. Regarding the Senate’s proposal, the French Bishops’ Conference released a statement signed by the archbishop of Rennes, Monsignor Pierre d’Ornellas. "Does the life of the embryo deserve being protected? Yes or No? The Senate gave a negative answer". The reason for this denial is "riskridden", the bishop said. Senate motivated its endorsement of embryo research with the fact that "France is lagging behind in the realm of scientific research. How is it possible – the bishop asks – that the progress of French research depend on this authorization? The human embryo has the right to protection. Europe wants this protection to be ensured". For the bishop, the French law in force provides for the protection of human beings "since the beginning of life". It is therefore "shocking", points out Monsignor d’Ornellas – that the Senate would question the law and envisage a change "without a true debate". Moreover, he concludes, "the vote of the Senate is all the more disconcerting given that in clinical tests for new drugs the international scientific community opted for the reprogrammed stem cells discovered by Nobel laureates Gurdon and Yamanaka. As neurobiologist Alain Privat said, the adoption of a provision authorizing experiments on human embryos as a matter of principle "sends to the world a message of denial of ethics, marked by scientific anachronism".