On April 5 and 6, the “International Conference for the Universal Abolition of Surrogacy” took place in Rome, with the participation of representatives of international organizations, politicians and academics who sought to generate a public debate on this practice. The conference was organized by the expert signatories of the Declaration of Casablanca. In that document, presented on March 3, 2023, more than 100 people of 75 nationalities pledged to fight against surrogacy in order to protect and preserve human dignity and the rights of women and children, by implementing the following measure ..read more

Zoraya ter Beek, 28, living in the Netherlands, will receive euthanasia this May after requesting it for suffering from various mental health problems such as autism, borderline personality disorder and depression. This decision was made, despite not suffering from any terminal illness, when her psychiatrist informed her that he could no longer help her cope with her suffering. “I was always very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore” explains the young woman. This Dutch woman requested euthanasia three years ago and, since then, has received approval from three psychiat ..read more

On April 8, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published the Declaration “Dignitas Infinita” on human dignity in which it insists that euthanasia, gender theory or abortion constitute great threats to human dignity. The new document, consisting of 68 points and signed by the prefect of the Dicastery, the Argentine theologian and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, was approved by Pope Francis on March 25. Although it does not show substantial modifications with respect to the magisterium already established in the Donum vitae and Evangelium vitae, nor that expressed by Saint John Paul I ..read more

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote next Thursday, April 11, whether to include abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In a recently approved resolution, some MEPs urge member states to decriminalise abortion, and to remove and combat the remaining legal, financial, social and practical restrictions still hampering access in some member states. MEPs call on the Commission and member states to step up their political support for human rights defenders and healthcare providers working to promote “sexual and reproductive health and rights”. This contr ..read more

National Health Service (NHS) England has announced that it will stop prescribing puberty blockers in its clinics for children who wish to change their sex. The so-called puberty blockers, which stop the appearance of the characteristic physiological changes in the adolescent phase, will from now on only be prescribed in clinical research trials. The British Government is committed to ensuring that patient care is evidence-based and in the best interests of the child. In line with this promise, it must be remembered that Dr Hilary Cass revealed in February 2022 serious deficiencies in the Gend ..read more

Reasons for space exploration Space exploration is driven by an interest in scientific and technological progress, but it is also motivated by an innate desire to explore the unknown, as well as geopolitical and strategic considerations. In fact, the first man set foot on the Moon in 1969 specifically for the latter reason, as President Kennedy had made clear a few years previously: “The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time, and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in t ..read more

On March 21, it was announced that surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) had successfully transplanted a pig kidney into a living 62-year-old man suffering from severe kidney disease. The surgery, which lasted 4 hours, was performed on March 16. This procedure in a living recipient represents a milestone in the field of xenotransplantation (the transplantation of organs or tissues from one species to another) as a possible solution to the worldwide organ shortage. The MGH is recognized for being a center where numerous transplants are performed, both organs and tissues. The doctor w ..read more

Scientists from University College London (United Kingdom) have published research in Nature Medicine in which fetal stem/progenitor cells were obtained from amniotic fluid and grown in the laboratory to give rise to organoids. These are three-dimensional models of miniature organs on which a multitude of in vitro studies can be carried out. This is the first time organoids have been cultured directly from cells taken from ongoing pregnancies. The cells obtained were epithelial cells of fetal gastrointestinal, renal and pulmonary origin, from which they managed to form organoids that manifeste ..read more

French President Emmanuel Macron has given an interview to the newspapers Libération and La Croix in which he commented that he is preparing a bill to legalize euthanasia that will be presented in April to the French parliament. Although Macron intends for it to be called neither the euthanasia law nor the assisted suicide law, these are the practices that he wants to legalize, although he uses the euphemism “aid in dying” to refer to them. “Aid in dying” may be applied if the person meets the following requirements: 1) be an adult; 2) have complete discernment, that is, not suffer from A ..read more

The French State has just approved by a majority of 80% the inclusion of the right to abortion in its Constitution. The intention behind this decision is to protect women’s presumed right to abort against possible limitations to their freedom that could be established by future governments, more sensitive to respect for human life. The reform now approved has been presented by French politicians from almost the entire political spectrum as a conquest of freedom for women, who will finally be able to “dispose of their bodies” without restrictions. But is the recognition of the right to abort re ..read more