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Did the Vatican condemn GMO crops and animals, or simply caution on their use?

I'm looking for help researching this. A buddy of mine is a doctoral candidate in genetics and was pretty ticked when a minister told him it was a sin to do genetic experiments. Now, he works with transgenetic brewer's yeast as a means of understanding how different genes function to synthesize proteins, so we're not talking about human research, or cloning, but rather adapting the present mechanisms.

I'm looking for something to source the campus minister's position. Any help would be appreciated - right now I personally think it's just her personal fear of GMOs rather than anything the Church says, but I'm not sure. Tanks.

1 Answer

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Here is what the Vatican's director of Bioethics has to say on the matter:

    "I have stopped all those who demand condemnation of these ( genetically

    modified ) products," said Bishop Elio Sgreccia, Vatican director of

    Bioethics and vice-president of the Pontifical Academy of Life (PAL).

    He emphasized that biotechnological research could resolve global problems

    such as hunger since it enables agricultural productivity even in arid

    lands.

    "We (PAL members) are increasingly encouraged that the advantages of genetic

    engineering of plants and animals are greater than the risks," explained

    Bishop Sgreccia. "The risks should be carefully followed through openness,

    analysis and control, but without a sense of alarm."

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