The 20th International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care will focus on the human genome. Some 700 participants are expected from 81 countries.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – 'What's life?' This question is the main theme of the 20th International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. It will focus on the scientific, philosophical and theological aspects of the human genome, according to Card Javier Lozano Barragán, Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. The conference, which will take place on November 17-19, is being held at the Vatican.

The conference's stepping stone will be the Word of God, Cardinal Lozano Barragán said today in presenting the event. "We call on Revelation the Word of God to tell us which initial vision we must have on the origin of life itself," he said. "From this initial point, we will develop our exploration of it in three stages: reality, illumination and action."

The first stage—reality—will involve examining the current situation of genetics including chromosomal aberrations and congenital disorders; medical assistance to affected patients and help for their families; judgement, error and negligence in genetics. Participants will also look at human genetics and its international juridical status, genetic research and international cooperation.

In the second stage—illumination—"we will reflect on the following subjects through the application of the Word of God to the reality studied in the first part of the conference: the historical process of human genetics, human genetics in the light of the Word of God, the ethics of medical genetics, the path of liberal eugenics and the ethics of medical consultancy in the field of genetics. In our traditional inter-religious dialogue we will then address the application of the knowledge of human genetics according to Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, as well as genetics according to the thought of post-modernity."

In the third stage—Action—"we will examine genetics and the new culture, the pastoral vision of genetic research, medical genetics and ethical committees in hospitals, law and genetics, society and genetic diseases, economics and genetics, education and the updating of pastoral workers in the field of genetics, and the prevention of genetic diseases from the point of view of pastoral care".

Some 700 participants are expected to attend the conference from 81 countries. Speakers from 17 of them will present papers.

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