«The human being must be respected and treated as a person ever since conception; therefore, since that very moment, the right of the person must be acknowledged. Above all, every innocent human being has the inviolable right to live». Those words are written in the Instruction "Dignitatis Personae", issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, presented at the Vatican this morning. During the meeting with the press, it was pointed out that biomedical sciences made huge steps forward in the last few years, paving the way for new therapeutic perspectives, but also raising serious questions not explicitly tackled by the Instruction Donum Vitae (22 February 1987). The new Instruction, signed on 8 September 2008, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, intends to supply answers to some new questions of bioethics, causing expectations and perplexities in various sectors of society. In this way as written in the text, – the attempt is «to promote the shaping of consciences», and to encourage biomedical research respecting the dignity of every human being as well as procreation. (To be continued)
