Conscientious objection is "a right that must be granted to your profession, so that you can decide not to directly or indirectly cooperate in the supply of products that aim at clearly immoral choices, such as abortion and euthanasia". It was said this morning by Pope Benedict XVI as he received in the Vatican the Catholic chemists gathered in Rome for their world congress called "The new frontiers of the pharmaceutical act". The Pope asked the chemists to be aware of the effects of some molecules that have been created to prevent "an embryo taking root" or "to shorten someone’s life". Life repeated Benedict XVI "must be protected from its conception to its natural end". "The current developments of the medical devices and the therapeutic options that ensue from them explained the Pope demand that the chemists reflect on the wider and wider functions that they are called to serve as the intermediaries between the doctor and the patient". Chemists are called to play "an educational role with the patient for him to make the right use of the medical treatment and above all to raise his awareness of the ethical implications of using a specific drug". (continued)
