Vatican official criticises Nobel win for IVF pioneer

Again, this comes from the BBC website, and I’ll put my thoughts at the end.

Karen

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A Vatican official has said the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Medicine to British IVF pioneer Robert Edwards is "completely out of order".

Louise Brown with Prof Edwards

Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said the award ignored the ethical questions raised by the fertility treatment.

He said IVF had led to the destruction of large numbers of human embryos.

Nearly four million babies have been born using IVF fertility treatment since 1978.

Monsignor Carrasco, the Vatican's spokesman on bio-ethics, said in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) had been "a new and important chapter in the field of human reproduction".

But he said the Nobel prize committee's choice of Prof Edwards had been "completely out of order" as without his treatment, there would be no market for human eggs "and there would not be a large number of freezers filled with embryos in the world", he told Italy's Ansa news agency.

"In the best of cases they are transferred into a uterus but most probably they will end up abandoned or dead, which is a problem for which the new Nobel prize winner is responsible."

In his statement, Monsignor Carrasco stressed that he was speaking in a personal capacity.

The Nobel medicine prize committee in Sweden said Prof Edwards' work had brought "joy to infertile people all over the world".

"His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity, including more than 10% of all couples worldwide," it said.

Prof Edwards efforts in the 1950s, 60s and 70s led to the birth of the world's first "test tube baby", Louise Brown, in July 1978.

Ms Brown said the award was "fantastic news".

"Me and mum are so glad that one of the pioneers of IVF has been given the recognition he deserves," she said.

"We hold Bob in great affection and are delighted to send our personal congratulations to him and his family at this time."

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Yet again, the Catholic Church has shown just how out of touch it is with the rest of the world. Most people in this world see IVF as a blessing, as it has allowed them to have a family of their own.

It strikes me that Monsignor Carrasco would be happy to see this technology buried, along with everything else that he and his colleagues disapprove of, and push us back into the medical dark ages, and this attitude is doing little to entice people to stay with the Church.

Until the Vatican (and the Pope) change their views, they will continue to provide ammunition to people like Prof Dawkins, who will continue to argue that the Church is irrelevant in these times. And I’m sorry to say that in this instance, I am quite inclined to agree with him.


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Papal aide Cardinal Kasper under pressure to apologise

This comes from the BBC website – as per normal, I’ll put my comments / thoughts at the end.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

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Papal aide Cardinal Kasper under pressure to apologise

A senior papal aide has come under pressure to apologise after saying arriving at Heathrow airport was like landing in a "Third World" country.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Catholic Church leader in Scotland, said he expected Cardinal Walter Kasper to say sorry.

Cardinal Kasper pulled out of the Pope's four-day UK visit, with the Vatican citing illness.

The trip is expected to contain a number of protests and statements by groups opposed to it.

Cardinal Walter Kasper gave an interview to a German magazine

Cardinal Kasper had made his remarks during an interview with the German magazine Focus.

"I'm sure Cardinal Kasper will apologise for any intemperate remarks”

Cardinal Keith O'Brien

On Wednesday, Vatican sources said Cardinal Kasper was suffering from gout and had been advised by his doctors not to travel to the UK.

They also said his "Third World" comment referred to the UK's multicultural society.
Ahead of the Pope's arrival in Edinburgh, Cardinal O'Brien told BBC Radio Scotland:

"[The comment] was unfortunate and each and every person's aides sometimes do make awkward, difficult remarks. Sometimes we make awkward, difficult remarks ourselves. And simply, if we do that sort of thing we apologise for it, and I'm sure Cardinal Kasper will apologise for any intemperate remarks which he made some time ago."

The Catholic Church in England and Wales said Cardinal Kasper's comments were "the personal views of one individual".

Open debate

Pope Benedict XVI is making the first state visit by a pontiff to the UK.

The invitation has been criticised by a number of groups, including gay and women's rights organisations.

Protest the Pope, an umbrella group bringing together a dozen humanist, atheist, secular and gay rights groups, has said it opposes the idea of the Pope being welcomed to the UK as a head of state, with the UK taxpayer paying for much of the visit.

Pope Benedict has also faced calls to address public concern over the sexual and physical abuse of children by priests.

And reformist Catholics are using the Pope's visit as an opportunity to call on Benedict XVI to open up the debate on priestly celibacy and the ordination of women.

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With regards to the comment by the cardinal, all I can say is “this man is supposed to be a diplomat?” That’s not what I would expect from someone who is supposed to be assisting with a rather sensitive tour.

Yes, it does appear that the UK as a whole is secular, but I am afraid that this is not the time to state such a thing, especially with the tensions that are in the air because of the abuses that the church seems unwilling (or more to the point unable) to deal with., and it is this apparent failure that is turning people away from the church.

Ok – I’m not a churchgoer by any stretch of the imagination – I go when it’s hatch, match and despatch and the very rare occasions that I get dragged. But that doesn’t mean that I am an atheist. Far from it – I prefer to refer to myself as a humanist, as I do believe that there is a higher power, but I am unwilling to submit to any one idea of how and where I should give thanks.

Aside from that, I have to admit, I am not a fan of the current Pope. His predecessor, John Paul II was, in my opinion far more approachable, and seemed almost more human. Ok – maybe Pope Benedict does show his emotions in private, but he always strikes me as being rather dour and remote.

As for greeting him as a head of state, sorry, I don’t agree with that at all. The man is either a religious leader, or a church leader – you cannot have it both ways. Yes, in theory, Queen Elisabeth II is the titular head of the Church of England, but I doubt very much that she gets involved in the day to day running of the church – she leaves that to the archbishop of Canterbury.

Death of a pope

Those who know me, know that I am not the slightest bit religous, and the only time I go to church, is "hatch, match, despatch and when I'm dragged!"

Don't get me wrong - I do have friends of most religions, and am of the opinion that there must be some higher power. But, as I've demonstrated in the past, even when organising Dad's funeral - I opted for a non-religous ceremony - with Mum's full agreement.

I do admit to having a certain degree of curisoity about the Catholic faith, as it is very different from the faith that my own family stems from - the Protestant order - but to be honest, watching the highlights of the Pope's funeral last night, as I was unable to watch the event live due to work commitments, and I was unwilling to travel to Rome.

Because I felt that to do such a thing when I am not a Catholic, would have deprived someone, to whom the late Pope meant a great deal to, the chance of seeing him lying in state, and attanding the funeral rites.

Time to call it quits - got bits and pieces to do - including retrieving the furry thug again!

Back later (after the Grand National!)

Karen.

Don't let the b'stards get you down.