editorial" "

Europe sidelined” “

The unusual war or military operation in Afghanistan, mainly conducted by the USA which has in various ways supported the ground offensive of the Northern Alliance against the Taleban, seems (the verb seems de rigueur) approaching its end with the Bonn Conference that has now opened. This is a special event in a particularly delicate […]

di Maria Rita Saulle

cloning" "

Enormous economic interests” “” “

The US private corporation “Advanced Cell Technology” has publicly announced in recent days that it has successfully cloned a human embryo in its laboratories in Massachusetts. “We have no intention of creating new human beings, but only of deriving, from the cloned embryos, the stem cells that are needed for the treatment of some diseases”, […]

di Gian Andrea Garancini - Brussels" "" "

Therapeutic alibis” “

The laboratories of the United Kingdom could be the first, after those in the USA, to realize the cloning of human embryos. What is more, these experiments could take place not in a private laboratory, as in the USA, but in a public hospital, with State funding. And not only for therapeutic, but also for […]

di Silvia Guzzetti – London" "Maryvonne Gasse - Paris" "" "

The nightmare has become a reality” “

“The clone of an embryo – the prospect, namely, of a human being generated by selection, used for removing stem cells and then eliminated – is a grave offence to the dignity of man, to be utterly condemned”. With these words the German Episcopal Conference comments on the experiment of producing a human embryo recently […]

di Redazione

At the threshold of creation” “” “

1865: Gregor Mendel conducts systematic research on hybridization between beans and peas, from which the principles of heredity known as Mendel’s Laws would be developed. 1869: Friedrich Miescher succeeds in isolating a substance to which he gives the name nucleic acid. 1893: August Weismann demonstrates that father and mother contribute in equal parts to transmitting […]

di (source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)" "" "" "

What shall we make of man?” “” “

Being born, being treated, being cured, dying: aspects of human life now at the centre of far-reaching changes. The biological and medical sciences have made spectacular progress in recent times. They have now reached the point of prospecting – and this is just the most recent innovation coming from the USA – the cloning of […]

di Redazione

comece" "

The fight against terrorism” “

“The creation of a European space of freedom, security and justice, in which the rights and freedoms of everyone will be protected, is a very valuable development”. But “the balance between the needs for security and the protection of fundamental rights and liberties must be respected”. The declaration is made by COMECE (Commission of the […]

di Redazione

The role of the Churches” “” “

The bishops participating in the meeting also included Msgr. Amédée Grab , president of the Swiss Episcopal Conference and of CCEE (Council of the European Episcopal Conferences), invited to attend as an observer to maintain the links between the two institutions, and Msgr. Adrianus van Luyn , bishop of Rotterdam and vice-president of COMECE. “The […]

di Redazione

labour" "

A new apostolate for bluecollar workers” “” “

Contract work, lack of protection, clandestine employment, precariousness and uncertainties that exacerbate frustration and difficulties in planning for the future: these are just some of the features shared by European youth, according to the findings of the meeting “Youth, work and employment: questions for a European bluecollar worker apostolate” held in Brussels from 22 to […]

di Redazione

fact file" "

At the side of unemployed youth” “

A shared programme of “tutoring” that has lasted 7 years between the youth of the GIOC (Christian Worker Youth) in Turin and Bratislava, in Slovakia, has helped to create an attention to the world of work in the ecclesial communities. In Slovakia youth unemployment reaches very high figures (36%) and is continuously on the increase. […]

di Redazione