Declaration on the Production and the Scientific and Therapeutic Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000 (Italian and English); Tel. 06-698.85003; Fax 06-698.84716.

This booklet, also prepared by the Pontifical Academy for Life, seeks to contribute to the debate on the production and use of embryonic stem cells that is now taking place in the scientific and ethical literature and in public opinion. Given the growing relevance of the debate on the limits and licitness of the production and use of such cells, there is a pressing need to reflect on the ethical implications that are present.

The first section sets out the most recent scientific data on stem cells and the biotechnological data on their production and use. The second section draws attention to the more relevant...