Bioethics: Studying issues raised by the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine and bioethical and biotechnological questions coming out of the work and legislation of the European Community.


Bioethics documents from CEC's constituency
The following are contributions from CEC member churches, associate organisations, theologians etc, on Bioethics and Biotechnology. We make these documents available with the hope of encouraging other contributions thus allowing everyone to benefit from ideas, reflections and positions within the CEC constituency.

Aging - Central Bohemia Region
An analysis of questions concering aging in the Central Bohemian region.

British religious leaders critical of vote to allow embryo research
An ENI News Article

Bioethics, Religions and the European Institutions
Christian Byk - Introduction: Religion, Bioethics and the European Debate

Pastoral Health Care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Concluding thoughts from the 1st International Conference for Pastoral Health Care of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Economia in the Orthodox tradition
In the Eastern Orthodox and in the teaching of the Church Fathers which undergirds the theology of those Churches, economy or oeconomy (Greek economia ) has several meanings

Ethische Überlegungen zur Forschung mit menschlichen Embryonalen Stammzellen
Wenn es um den Umgang mit menschlichen Embryonen und um die Forschung mit den daraus hergestellten menschlichen Embryonalen Stammzellen geht, dann werden grundlegende Fragen christlicher, gesellschaftlicher und staatlicher Verantwortung berührt.

Ethics, Science and Technology
A contribution by Prof. Ulrich Körtner, Institut for Systematic Theology in Vienna
Member of the Church and Society Commission and the Network on Bioethics of KEK

Ethische Überlegungen zur genetischen Diagnostik
vorgelegt von der Arbeitsgruppe, „Ethische Fragen der Gentechnik“
der Evangelischen Kirche von Westfalen

Gentechnik Argumentationshifle
Beschluss der zweiten (ordentlichen) Tagung der 15. Landessynode der Evangelischen Kirche von Westfalen vom 31. Oktober bis zum 3. November 2005 in Bielefeld

Ist das Leben heilig?
Karsten Lehmkühler, Intergruppe Bioethik des EU-Parlaments, Strasbourg, 18. Januar 2007.

Mission d'évaluation de la loi no. 2005-370 du 22 avril 2005 relative aux droits de malades et à fin de vie
Monsieur Jean Léonetti, Rapporteur, Assemblée Nationale

Application of Genetic Tests in Clinical Practice - Ethical and social aspects
Genetic test have expanded the possibilities of diagnostics dramatically. It is to be expected that their relevancy will further increase in the future...

Theologic-ethical and philosophic-ethical arguments for limited stem cell research
The Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches and some Protestant Conservative Churches are strictly critical against the research with human embryos...

"Menschliches Leben ist nicht patentierbar"
Kirchen lehnen Patentierung embyronaler Stammzellen ab...

Ethische Aspekte der Nanotechnologie
Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen, Eine Stellungnahme der Arbeitsgemeinschaft, der Umweltbeauftragten in der EKD (AGU)

Some selected comments on the draft working papers
A. on a quality and safety legal framework on donation, procurement, testing, transport, preservation, transplantation and characterisation of human organs
B. on an action plan on organ donation and transplantation (2009-2015)

Ethische Überlegungen zum Umgang mit der Präimplantationsdiagnostik
Aufgrund eines Beschlusses der Landessynode der Evangelischen Kirche von Westfalen (EKvW) setzte die Kirchenleitung der EKvW im Jahr 2001 die Arbeitsgruppe „Ethische Fragen der Gentechnik“ ein. Dieses Gremium besteht aus Angehörigen verschiedener Berufsgruppen und Fachrichtungen...

Plants for the Future
Plants have a unique role for the existence of all heterotrophic organisms including human population. For sustainable development it is indispensable to stop the loss of biodiversity connected with climate changes and anthropogenic activities.

Am Ende lieber besser als länger leben – europäische Familienverbände zur Palliativmedizin
Die Föderation der katholischen Familienverbände in Europa (FAFCE) begrüßt den Entschließungsantrag „Palliative Care“, den der Europarat am 28. Januar 2009 in Straßburg behandelt.

At the end it is preferable to live a better than a longer life – the European Family Associations’ comments on palliative medicine
The Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) welcomes the resolution application “Palliative Care”, which the Council of Europe will discuss on January 28th, 2009 in Strasbourg.

Thoesis in the Orthodox tradition
Theosis (lit. "ingodded," "becoming god," deification) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition is a vision of human potential for perfection, anticipated in ancient Greece, witnessed to in both the Old and New Testaments, and developed by Patristic Christian theologians of the first five centuries after Christ...

Life Before Birth
A Lecture given to the Anglican and English speaking community by Richard Fischer, Executive Secretary, Church & Society Commission of CEC.

Report from the All-Ukrainian Council for patients rights and safety, the Association of medical workers and the All-Ukrainian Association of palliative care on NGOs in Palliative care development in the Ukraine.
Studying of the situation with the palliative care development in Ukraine


________________________________________________________________________

Comments on the Draft Working PaperOn a Quality and Safety Legal Framework on the Donation, Procurement, Testing, Transport, Preservation, Transplantation and Characterisation of Human Organs - June 2008
The Church and Society Commission (CSC) of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) welcomes the EC initiative aimed at developing a Quality and Safety Legal Framework for Organ Transplantation. Christian faith includes as a central feature “love for one's neighbour” and the expression of this may lead well to a freely chosen sacrifice...

Aging and Care for the Elderly - November 2007
This publication on Ageing has been prepared by the Working Group on Bioethics and Biotechnology of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). CEC is the regional ecumenical organisation which links in fellowship some 125 Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox, Reformed, Old Catholic and Pentecostal churches, as well as several associated organisations, in all the countries on the European continent. The Church and Society Commission (CSC) enables these churches and organizations to relate to the European institutions...

European Funding for Stem Cell Research - 20 October 2006
The Institutions of the European Union are in the decision-making process about the 7th Framework on Research. In June 2006, the European Parliament took the view that both human embryonic and adult stem cell research should benefit from European funding, provided the research projects respect the legal framework of the Member State(s) involved...

New Issues in Stem cells and Regenerative Medicine (June 2005)

Euthanasia (report February 2004)

‘Human life in our hands? Churches and Bioethics’ - Results of a consultation organized by the CEC in Strasbourg, 27-29 Nov. 2003

Genetic Testing and Predictive Medicine (report, October 2003)

Xenotransplantation, (report, June 2002)
Genetically Modified Food, (report, January 2002)
A brief presentation of the Working Group on Bioethics (January 2002)
A Theological Framework for Bioethics (position paper, January 2002)

Therapeutic Uses of Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cells (position paper, September 2000)
Patentability of the Human Genome (letter to EU Council of Ministers, June 2000)

EECCS and Bioethics (position paper, June 1998)
Cloning Animals and Humans (position paper, May 1998)
Medically Assisted Procreation after 20 years (position paper, 1998)
Patenting of Biotechnological Inventions (position paper, March 1998)

Critique of the Draft EC Patenting Directive (position paper, October 1996)
Medically Assisted Procreation and the Protection of the Human Embryo (position paper, 1996)