Vatican City, Oct 11, 2007 / 07:49 am
Pope Benedict issued a plea to all scientists today to stop using human embryos for research because it violates their God-given human dignity.
The head of the Catholic Church made his appeal specifically to South Korea, which has been in the international spotlight for its burgeoning bio-medical field over the last couple years, particularly in the area of stem-cell research.
The Holy Father spoke about the matter with South Korea’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Kim Ji-young. He noted that South Korea "has achieved notable successes in scientific research and development," especially in biotechnology which has "the potential to treat and cure illnesses so as to improve the quality of life in your homeland and abroad."
However, Pope Benedict was adamant in condemning the destruction and manipulation of embryonic humans: "discoveries in this field invite man to a deeper awareness of the weighty responsibilities involved in their application," and "under no circumstances may a human being be manipulated or treated as a mere instrument for experimentation.”