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Showing posts with the label bioethics

Linacre Centre Conference

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The Linacre Centre sends news of its forthcoming conference in Maynooth. The line-up of speakers is very impressive but I hope the others won't mind if I single out the presence of Fr Paul Mankowski SJ. It is a rare opportunity to hear this learned, powerful, and witty speaker on this side of the Atlantic. Here is the press release: Sexual and reproductive issues are very much in the news, and high on the political agenda. The Linacre Centre in Oxford ( www.linacre.org ) is bringing a diverse panel of expert speakers to Maynooth this summer from 16-18 June for a conference on Fertility, Infertility and Gender. The interdisciplinary conference will explore a range of topics including marriage and celibacy, homosexuality, contraception and STD prevention, IVF and alternative forms of assisted conception. The conference will be opened by the Australian bishop/bioethicist Bishop Anthony Fisher OP; other international speakers include Fr Paul Mankowski SJ, Elizabeth Marquardt, Pro...
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Britain leads the way in Frankenstein research yet again

The Daily Mail reports today that Biologist Karim Nayernia has created a cocktail of chemicals and vitamins that have turned human stem cells into sperm. The procedure is hailed as a "treatment" for male infertility. We are given some further details of how the research is envisaged as progressing: Viewed through a microscope, they have heads and tails and swim like normal sperm, and Professor Nayernia is 'convinced' they would be capable of fertilising eggs and creating babies. He has more safety checks to carry out but plans to apply for permission to use some of the artificial sperm to fertilise eggs for research purposes. (See: Ethical storm flares as British scientists create artificial sperm from human stem cells - and do vote in the poll today if possible.) John Harris, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester says: I cannot see a downside to research that increases the range of human possibility and choice. (See: Independent, A world without me...
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"Fertility and Faith" - student conference in Oxford

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The Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics is arranging a conference at Oxford on "Fertility and Faith" on Saturday 21st February, starting at 10 am. The event is being held in association with the OU Newman Society, the Catholic Society and the Oxford Pro-Life Society. The venue is the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy (OX1 1RD). I'll be speaking at this event in the morning to give a general introduction and overview, looking especially at fertility, the basis for the Church's teaching on artificial birth control and the virtue of chastity. Anthony McCarthy will be speaking on "Marriage and Meaning", and Ira Winter will speak about practical approaches to natural fertility. There will be a panel discussion and Q&A session after lunch (see attached poster). If you are interested in finding out about the Church's teaching on fertility, infertility, marriage and love, please do come along. Email Stephen Barrie to book your free place. At the Linac...
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Linacre Ethics Forum

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I am happy to pass on this notice of the Linacre Ethics Forum meeting next week. Fr Doe is an excellent speaker and I encourage you to go if you can. Linacre Ethics Forum On Tuesday 3rd February, Fr Anthony Doe will be speaking on "Therapy and Spiritual Direction in Healthcare: a resource" at 6.30pm (for 7) in the usual place: Vaughan House (behind Westminster Cathedral). Please come along and spread the word! This promises to be a good one! If you are able to advertise the series of talks, you can download a poster .
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Linacre Ethics Forum

News today from a young medical student about this new initiative. Linacre Ethics Forum Bioethics from a Catholic perspective A chance for junior healthcare professionals and students (medics,nurses, pharmacists etc. are welcome!) to explore and discuss Catholic healthcare ethics. Each month a senior practitioner or other expert will be invited to give a 30 minute presentation, followed by discussion. The aim will be to understand the Church’s teaching, and explore ways in which we can present it sympathetically to patients, colleagues and managers. Title : So, you want to be a good Catholic healthcare professional? Date : Wednesday 30th January Time : (5.30pm Mass in Westminster Cathedral) 6.30pm Introduction 7pm Talk - Dr Charlie O’Donnell 7.30pm Discussion 8.30pm Finish (retire to pub/cafe) Location : Vaughan House (behind Westminster Cathedral), SW1P 1QN For further information please contact Stephen Barrie on 020 72667413 or at stephen@linacre.org
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Popular posts from this blog

Saint Gabriel

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The angels call for our veneration and awe as part of God’s creation. Part of the destructive modernism of the 1970s included advice to Catholic school teachers that they should not talk to children about angels. This wrought lasting damage which continues to need rectifying. We should include in our prayers a heartfelt recourse to our own Guardian Angels. The Archangel Gabriel “God is my strength” would be terrifying were he to appear to any of us. Our Lady was “troubled” at the word of Saint Gabriel and wondered at the manner of the salutation. Immediately, according to his mission, the awesome messenger explained himself. Modern retelling of the event is often reduced to the jejune “Mary said Yes to God”. In fact, she said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. This conveys more accurately the flawless faith and trust of the Immaculata. In the infinitely wise providence of the Father, we now know the structure of the event in even more detai...
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Our Easter Faith: Not a Pious Crème Fraiche

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In public life, some basically well-meaning figures have the graciousness to wish us well at Easter and to recognise the importance of the Christian feast day. Perhaps they might assure us that their thoughts are with us at this time. That is kind of them and in Christian charity we should thank them for their kindness, but Easter should be a great deal more than that for us. We must believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ is risen from the grave, in the flesh, and lives for eternity. We cannot treat Easter as a jolly holiday that heralds spring, or the remembrance of a significant event from the past. It must change us today and every day, change who we are and what we do. The Christian faith cannot be a mild custard or blancmange of religiosity. (I am showing my age. Nowadays, I should say that it cannot be reduced to a pious crème fraiche .) We bow down and adore the King of Kings, risen from the tomb, who, “[…] continues for ever,...
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Blessing of the New Painting of St Bede at Clapham Park

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This morning, the parish priest at Clapham Park, Fr Marcus Holden, blessed a new picture of the parish's patron, Saint Bede, painted by James Tildsley. It is sited over a recently installed side altar near the rear of the Church. The altar itself was acquired from Antique Church Furnishings . The website gives the information that the altar was built and carved by a nun in a convent near Liverpool. It is a beautiful piece of work and it is always a joy when such works of art find a suitable and dignified home. The inscription on the gradine is AMANS AMATUS AMOR. The sellers translate this as “Loving is the object of love” which is a reasonable stab at “dynamic equivalence”. Today the parish's relic of St Bede was exposed for veneration in its distinctive brightly-coloured reliquary. After the blessing, there was High Mass with Fr Holden as celebrant, Fr Littleton deacon, and myself subdeacon. That gave me the enjoyable task of chant...
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Plenary indulgences not impossible

Dilexit Prior in Letters from a Young Catholic asked some useful questions today about indulgences. I thought it would be best to do a post here especially to cover the controversial question of detachment from venial sin. But first the other questions: The conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence Pope Paul VI set down a number of norms relating to indulgences at the end of Indulgentiarum Doctrina . Norm 7 states: To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n.11 for those who are “impeded.” It is worth reading the other norms bec...
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Portiuncula indulgence tomorrow (and indulgences generally)

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Tomorrow, 2 August, you can gain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions ( see below ) by visiting a parish Church and there reciting the Our Father and the Creed . This is called the Portiuncula indulgence and goes back to St Francis of Assisi. Fr Z has the details . Don't forget that you can also gain a plenary indulgence by visiting a Church on the day of the titular feast, and there reciting the Our Father and the Creed . I made a list of other indulgences: please see the post Plenary indulgences for particular days which has a link to the list. The post has some background information which you may find helpful since indulgences are not well understood today - which is not surprising since indulgences are not included in most Catholic education curricula, and most priests never preach about them. Therefore many Catholics are left with whatever silly, half-baked, ill-informed nonsense about indulgences happens to be current. If you want to understand the theology...
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