Church backing for biotech cited

The Roman Catholic is not opposed to the use of biotechnology in agriculture; in fact, many church officials support the use of biotechnology to fight hunger especially in developing countries.

This was disclosed by Bishop Elio Sgreccia, vice president of the Vatican-based Pontifical Academy for Life and director of the Institute of Bioethics of the Sacred Heart University of Rome following the expression of support released recently by the two esteemed Catholic institutions.

The Catholic institutions adopted the position that "research in the biotechnological field could help resolve enormous problems such as the adaptation to arid land, thus conquering hunger."

Sgreccia clarified that "there are no specific indications from the Magisterium (official teachings) of the Church on biotechnology and because of this, I have stopped all those who demand the condemnation of these (biotechnology) products."

He added that biotechnology can be "justified with the motive that they are for the good of man".

Giuseppe Bertoni, professor at the Institute of Zootechnology in the same university said, "It is true that ethical limits must be respected, but above all the reality of biotechnology must be known".

"If you know biotechnology, you don’t fear it," Bertoni added.

Bertoni also rejected arguments raised by anti-biotech groups that the technology is in the hands of multinational corporation.

"That is an ideological question, not a scientific one," he pointed out.

Jesuit Angelo Serra, another Sacred Heart professor, said "progress in knowledge will bring great benefits to mankind; consequently, science must not be incriminated."

In the Philippines, influential Sorsogon Bishop Diosdado Varela warned against "the black propaganda campaign against biotechnology". Varela issued the warning in the wake of efforts to "sow fear among farmers based on imagined effects of biotechnology". Anti-GMO groups in the Philippine allegedly told farmers that biotech crops could cause retardation and homosexuality.

He emphasized the importance of the role of biotechnology in developing countries, saying, "everything that can be done to surmount hunger, to avoid children becoming blind for lack of vitamin A, and to protect the environment, is welcome."