PRESS RELEASE
The Global Consultation entitled Stem Cell Research in the service of human life?: Ethical and
Theological Reflection, organized by the World Council of Churches (Project
on Faith, Science, Technology and Ethics) and the
Volos Academy for Theological Studies has started today, Monday 9 November
2009. Twenty five participants from all over the world and various Christian
and religious Traditions have gathered to discuss and reflect on this crucial
and ambivalent issue.
At the
opening ceremony, the Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies Dr.
Pantelis Kalaitzidis welcomed the participants and stressed the importance of
the Consultation as it serves the dialogue between faith and science,
spirituality and technology, medical and ethical imperatives, as well as the
mutual understanding and respect of people from different religious and
cultural backgrounds.
Rev. Pr. Vasilios Kalliakmanis (Greece), Representative
of the Special Synodical Commission of Church of Greece, noticed that the
Consultation is a great chance for the Churches to understand and discuss the new
scientific challenges and to offer an honest and right answer and information
to their faithful.
Then, an
introduction to the Project, its philosophy and its aims made by Dr. Maria van
Heemstra (WCC/Geneva) and Packia Asirvathan (WCC/Geneva).
Dr. Vassilios Fanaras, who is a project consultant on
behalf of the Volos Academy, presented an Orthodox reflection on the theme. According to him: “Orthodox are expected not only
to present our aspects, but also to listen to the scientists and theologians of other denominations and religions”. He stressed that: “The
use of somatic stem cell in research and therapies would be a welcome
alternative choice and ethically acceptable practice... The importance of human life demands a “spiritual therapy” that is necessary for each illness... Our
bodies are part of the main Body of Christ, the Church. We should accept that
our bodies are finite with respect to flesh, but eternal in the Body of
Christ”.
Pr. James
Rusthoven (Canada) offered a detailed analysis of the developments and
achievements on stem cell research, referring to certain experiments and
methods of analysis without avoiding exposing their ethical challenges and
concerns.
Finally,
papers given by Dr. Donald Bruce (U.K.) and Pr. Theocharis Patargias
(Greece), who they both presented the huge ethical dilemmas and questions on
stem cell research and they proposed issues and themes still open, where further
research is needed.
The
participants went into small groups to discuss about bio-ethics, bio-politics
and Churches/religious institutions response on stem cell research.
Finally, the participants were invited to share a ‘table of love’ in a local parish, where they had the opportunity to experience Greek hospitality and be informed about the initiatives, activities and actions that they take place in Holy Metropolis of Demetrias on spiritual and social level.
- Here you can download the Welcoming address of the Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis
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Στη συνέχεια χαιρέτησε τη Διάσκεψη ο π. Βασίλειος Καλλιακμάνης, Καθηγητής του Τμήματος Θεολογίας Α.Π.Θ. και εκπρόσωπος της Επιτροπής Βιοηθικής της Ιεράς Συνόδου της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος. Ο π. Βασίλειος Καλλιακμάνης μετέφερε τις ευλογίες και τις ευχές του Σεβασμιωτάτου Μητροπολίτου Μεσογαίας και Λαυρεωτικής κ. Νικολάου, Προέδρου της Επιτροπής, και τόνισε ότι η παρούσα Παγκόσμια Διάσκεψη που διοργανώνεται από την Ακαδημία Θεολογικών Σπουδών και το ΠΣΕ θα συμβάλει όχι μόνο στην κατανόηση των νέων επιστημονικών προκλήσεων, αλλά και στην άρθρωση νηφάλιου θεολογικού λόγου με σκοπό τη σφαιρική τους προσέγγιση και τη σωστή ενημέρωση του λαού.
Τέλος, εισηγήσεις έκαναν οι Καθηγητές Donald Bruce (Αγγλία) και Θεοχάρης Παταργιάς (Ελλάδα), οι οποίοι παρουσίασαν τα μεγάλα ηθικά διλήμματα, ερωτήματα και προκλήσεις που συνδέονται με την έρευνα στα βλαστοκύτταρα, επισημαίνοντας την ανάγκη για περαιτέρω έρευνα και προβληματισμό.
- Δείτε το πλήρες κείμενο του Χαιρετισμού του Συντονιστή της Ακαδημίας Θεολογικών Σπουδών Δρ. Παντελή Καλαιτζίδη
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