The Holy See has fulfilled its obligations under two international conventions to protect the ozone layer, a Vatican official has announced.
Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, this month deposited a document of adherence to the Convention of Vienna for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, Catholic News Agency reports.
Archbishop Migliore explained that with this gesture "the Holy See desires to encourage the entire international community to be resolute in promoting authentic cooperation between politics, science and economics."
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Terminator seeds condemned
Meanwhile, Independent Catholic News reports three widely respected theologians have condemned "terminator seed" technology - which produces genetically engineered plants with sterile seeds - as "grossly immoral."
Writing in a new publication, commissioned by Catholic development charity Progressio, Jesuit Fr Roland Lesseps, Fr Sean McDonagh and Fr Donal Dorr say the controversial GM technology, which is currently restricted by a temporary UN ban, offers "no benefit for farmers and consumers" and would have "long term consequences for the environment."
Biotechnology companies claim that 'Terminator' seeds would be used to produce GM crops and trees which are engineered to stop GM traits spreading to other plants by inserting a 'suicide' gene.
But Fr McDonagh, writing in the new publication, says: "There is simply no such thing as a safe and acceptable form of Terminator"
Instead, the theologians warn the technology could have catastrophic effects on the poorest farmers in the developing world.
"Terminator technology attacks the very principle of life itself," writes Lesseps.
"Destroying the life principle in an organism is not a right relationship with creation which should be received as a gift from God to be shared by all."
~ From: CathNews ~
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