Greater responsibility in biotechnologies for the benefit of future generations: this was the warning of the bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, mons. Gebhard Fürst. “An epoch that intends to adopt feasibility as its maximum criteria loses is balance and soon becomes a ‘ruthless history’ between the strong and the weak, the perfect, the disabled and the pariah”, he declared on December 10 in Vallender, on the occasion of the celebrations for the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology. Fürst reiterated that in this activity to the benefit of the “sacrality of human life”, the Church “isn’t hostile to science or to research”: “on the contrary, we expect researchers to ensure that the serious illnesses of our times be cured”, he emphasized. “All non-destructive technologies or which endanger human life, also in their initial state are ethically acceptable”. “The Church is not against research, it is in favor of life”, he affirmed: “this is why it is in favor biotechnologies, provided these respect and promote human dignity. Genetic research and biogenetics can become a curse, for example if scientists gave in to the temptation of producing a new perfect human being”. “In the future, humanity will know more and will be able to do much more”, he added. “however, the question is whether mankind really wants to know everything and if mere feasibility is enough to determine what can and what can’t be done. As relates to these questions, the Church is on the side of the humaneness and the inviolability of human beings”.
