Catholic-Protestant’s Communal Declaration against ``Human Cloning``

Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Church has written a joint declaration. This joint declaration will officially be announced at 11 AM, on 23th on a press conference at the conference hall in Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul.

Dong-Ik Lee (professor of Catholic University), a Catholic priest at a Catholic Church’s Council for Bioethics and Yong-Gil Maeng (professor at Presbyterian Theological Seminary) , the chair of Protestant Church’s Christian Council for Bioethics, and other representatives from two churches agreed to write a joint declaration that says ``Embryo cloning and experiment is an act contrary to morality because a 14 days old embryo is a life as well.``

Catholic and Protestant announced that they reached an agreement to make a joint declaration because the bill being prepared by Ministry of Science and Technology can harm the human dignity and human life.

Ministry of Science and Technology is preparing a bill that will decide whether they can allow the human cloning or not. And if they allow, where would be the limit? The ministry has formed a council consisted of representatives form fields of bioethics, medicine, and civil organizations. The ministry plans to submit the bill to the National Assembly after collecting opinions from the final public hearing which will be held on 22th.

Catholic and Protestant churches decided to have continuous conferences for bioethics related representatives from both sides. They also decided to cooperate for lobbying to the members of the National Assembly for legislation of a bill whose purpose is to prevent human cloning.

Song Pyoung-In pisong@donga.com