Communications on Sep. 27, 2002
* The Church in Korea to Oppose the Government's "Life Ethics Bill"
Catholic experts in bioethics expressed strong opposition to the Government's "Life Ethics Bill" which was finalized by the Ministry of Health & Welfare on September 23.
"The bill is seemingly proscribing human cloning and somatic cell nuclear transfer but in fact it opens door to human cloning by an exceptional clause that stipulates that the President can permit it after the deliberation of national 'Life Ethics Committee'," they said.
In this regard, the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK (President: Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok) decided to convene a meeting on October 5 to find ways to urge the Government to amend the bill.
The Most Rev. Ahn said, "The bill is apparently claiming the dignity and value of human life, however, we cannot help getting the impression that it is utilizing human life as means to maximize the commercial profit," and went on, "the Catholic Church cannot remain silent in the face of this bill, so we will discuss ways for the teachings of the Catholic Church to permeate the law."
Rev. Remigio Lee Dong-ik, Executive Secretary of the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK, said, "the Government tries to avoid controversies by setting up an exceptional clause for the human cloning and somatic cell nuclear transfer, but, actually, the bill is giving 'green light' to them," and emphasized that the exceptional clause should be rescinded from the bill.
The bill will be in force from April or May in 2003, if passed at the regular session of the National Assembly this year.
* PCID President Cardinal Francis Arinze Visits Korea
His Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue(PCID), arrived in Seoul on September 21 to attend Asia Consultors' Meeting of the PCID held at Aaron Retreat House in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do from September 24 to 27.
On September 23, Cardinal Arinze visited the National Center for Confucianism and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and had a meeting with leaders of the seven main religions in Korea.
The Cardinal said to Confucians, "The Catholic Church has always respected good, noble and true elements in other religions. I respect the wisdom, long history and roots of your religious tradition."
He also expressed appreciation for the friendly and cooperative relationship between Buddhists and Catholics in Korea and encouraged to keep it.
At the meeting with other religion leaders, the Cardinal told them about the active efforts of the Vatican for interreligious dialogue with Muslims and wanted to know about the present situation of interreligious cooperation in Korea.
Catholic experts in bioethics expressed strong opposition to the Government's "Life Ethics Bill" which was finalized by the Ministry of Health & Welfare on September 23.
"The bill is seemingly proscribing human cloning and somatic cell nuclear transfer but in fact it opens door to human cloning by an exceptional clause that stipulates that the President can permit it after the deliberation of national 'Life Ethics Committee'," they said.
In this regard, the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK (President: Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok) decided to convene a meeting on October 5 to find ways to urge the Government to amend the bill.
The Most Rev. Ahn said, "The bill is apparently claiming the dignity and value of human life, however, we cannot help getting the impression that it is utilizing human life as means to maximize the commercial profit," and went on, "the Catholic Church cannot remain silent in the face of this bill, so we will discuss ways for the teachings of the Catholic Church to permeate the law."
Rev. Remigio Lee Dong-ik, Executive Secretary of the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK, said, "the Government tries to avoid controversies by setting up an exceptional clause for the human cloning and somatic cell nuclear transfer, but, actually, the bill is giving 'green light' to them," and emphasized that the exceptional clause should be rescinded from the bill.
The bill will be in force from April or May in 2003, if passed at the regular session of the National Assembly this year.
* PCID President Cardinal Francis Arinze Visits Korea
His Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue(PCID), arrived in Seoul on September 21 to attend Asia Consultors' Meeting of the PCID held at Aaron Retreat House in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do from September 24 to 27.
On September 23, Cardinal Arinze visited the National Center for Confucianism and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and had a meeting with leaders of the seven main religions in Korea.
The Cardinal said to Confucians, "The Catholic Church has always respected good, noble and true elements in other religions. I respect the wisdom, long history and roots of your religious tradition."
He also expressed appreciation for the friendly and cooperative relationship between Buddhists and Catholics in Korea and encouraged to keep it.
At the meeting with other religion leaders, the Cardinal told them about the active efforts of the Vatican for interreligious dialogue with Muslims and wanted to know about the present situation of interreligious cooperation in Korea.