Communications on Nov. 30, 2001
* Catholic Doctors Oppose Research on Cloning of Human Embryo
The Catholic Medical Center of Catholic University(CMC, Director: Rev. Mattias Choi Young-sik) published the 'Guidelines of the Research on Cloning of Human Embryo' on November 14 and distributed them to its eight affiliated hospitals, research institutions and medical colleges. The Guidelines fundamentally oppose any type of bio-technological study which leads to destruction of human embryo.
The CMC expressed concerns over the tendency, which was encouraged by the recent decision of the Government to support bio-technology research, to disregard the dignity of human life and destroy human life as shown in the research on cloning of human embryo to extract stem cells and it made clear its position to refuse all forms of support for this kind of research. More precisely, the Guidelines prohibited research itself, even therapeutic ones, on embryos of other organs aimed at obtaining human stem cells, recommending the clinical research of stem cells using umbilical cord blood, which is proved ethically faultless instead.
The CMC also pointed out that the research to obtain stem cells through in vitro fertilization of human ovum is obviously an immoral act, and clearly stated in the Guidelines that it would not allow an individual professor or a research laboratory to apply for grant for human cloning research, whether to Government or other organizations. The CMC noted that these Guidelines are based on the Stance of the Catholic Church in Korea regarding the Human Cloning issued by the Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK.
* Korean and Japanese Bishops Discuss Publishing Supplementary Textbook of History
The Bishops of Korea and Japan agreed that active exchange of the two Churches played an important role to build a new relation between two countries based on mutual understanding and cooperation, and decided to make a joint study of history and to exchange information on pastoral ministry.
This agreement came from the 7th Annual Korean - Japanese Bishops Exchange Meeting held on November 13 to 15 in Hiroshima, Japan. The bishops also promised to support the current exchange among the youth of two countries and expand it to the faithful of all ages and status. They also heard a lecture from Prof. Satoshi Uesugi of Kansai University about the controversial junior history textbook and the relationship between two countries.
In accordance with the decision, the Pastoral Institute of Korea(Director: Rev. John Kim) will look for ways to produce supplementary junior history textbooks aimed at promoting mutual understanding of history among the two peoples, in cooperation with Prof. Lee Won-sun, a former Chairman of National Institute of Korean History.
Those who attended the Exchange Meeting were 12 Korean bishops including the Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong and the Most Rev. Paul Ri, and Rev. John Kim, Secretary General of the CBCK, and 13 Japanese bishops including the Most Rev. Nomura Junichi, Bishop of Nagoya, the Most Rev. Takeo Okada, Archbishop of Tokyo.
The Catholic Medical Center of Catholic University(CMC, Director: Rev. Mattias Choi Young-sik) published the 'Guidelines of the Research on Cloning of Human Embryo' on November 14 and distributed them to its eight affiliated hospitals, research institutions and medical colleges. The Guidelines fundamentally oppose any type of bio-technological study which leads to destruction of human embryo.
The CMC expressed concerns over the tendency, which was encouraged by the recent decision of the Government to support bio-technology research, to disregard the dignity of human life and destroy human life as shown in the research on cloning of human embryo to extract stem cells and it made clear its position to refuse all forms of support for this kind of research. More precisely, the Guidelines prohibited research itself, even therapeutic ones, on embryos of other organs aimed at obtaining human stem cells, recommending the clinical research of stem cells using umbilical cord blood, which is proved ethically faultless instead.
The CMC also pointed out that the research to obtain stem cells through in vitro fertilization of human ovum is obviously an immoral act, and clearly stated in the Guidelines that it would not allow an individual professor or a research laboratory to apply for grant for human cloning research, whether to Government or other organizations. The CMC noted that these Guidelines are based on the Stance of the Catholic Church in Korea regarding the Human Cloning issued by the Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK.
* Korean and Japanese Bishops Discuss Publishing Supplementary Textbook of History
The Bishops of Korea and Japan agreed that active exchange of the two Churches played an important role to build a new relation between two countries based on mutual understanding and cooperation, and decided to make a joint study of history and to exchange information on pastoral ministry.
This agreement came from the 7th Annual Korean - Japanese Bishops Exchange Meeting held on November 13 to 15 in Hiroshima, Japan. The bishops also promised to support the current exchange among the youth of two countries and expand it to the faithful of all ages and status. They also heard a lecture from Prof. Satoshi Uesugi of Kansai University about the controversial junior history textbook and the relationship between two countries.
In accordance with the decision, the Pastoral Institute of Korea(Director: Rev. John Kim) will look for ways to produce supplementary junior history textbooks aimed at promoting mutual understanding of history among the two peoples, in cooperation with Prof. Lee Won-sun, a former Chairman of National Institute of Korean History.
Those who attended the Exchange Meeting were 12 Korean bishops including the Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong and the Most Rev. Paul Ri, and Rev. John Kim, Secretary General of the CBCK, and 13 Japanese bishops including the Most Rev. Nomura Junichi, Bishop of Nagoya, the Most Rev. Takeo Okada, Archbishop of Tokyo.