The inauguration of the 1ST World Bioethics Congress

 

Pressrelease: 11-9-2017

“Bioethics is highly dynamic. New situationscreate unique dilemmas and demand unique and new responses” (Jesús Etayo,Superior General of the Hospitaller Order)

 

Madrid, 10-9-2017.- A group of people withdisabilities from the Saint John of God Centre in Valladolid inaugurated theFirst World Bioethics Congress of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God thismorning at El Escorial, with a performance entitled, “Capaces con alma”. It waswatched by 500 people, and for the next 4 days the Congress will be addressedby over 26 experts in the fields of health care, economics, ethics, poverty andthe environment , debating and reflecting days on such highly topical issuesrelated to bioethics as the right to health and to live with dignity, povertyand the challenges of the environment.

As BrotherJesús, the Superior General of the Hospitaller Order, pointed out today in hisinaugural address to the Congress, “Bioethics is a discipline which studies theethical dilemmas that arise in human life. They are becoming increasingly morenumerous in every field, driven by the enhanced protagonism of individuals inthe matter of decision-taking regarding their own health and advances inmedical science which are offering new ways of intervening in human life, fromits beginning to its natural end”.

He alsorecalled that the mission of the Order of Saint John of God was Hospitality.Quoting the words of Pope Francis, he said that Hospitality meant “caring forthe fragility of the world”. Therefore “Hospitality is the core principle,value, virtue and ethical benchmark of our Institution”.

Afterwelcoming the delegates, the opening addresses to the Congress were deliveredby José María Bermejo OH, Congress President; Mgr. D. Carlos Osoro, CardinalArchbishop of Madrid; Mrs. Maravillas Izquierdo Martínez, Deputy DirectorGeneral with the Portfolio of the NHS and the Cohesion Fund of the Ministry ofHealth, Social Services and Equality, and Mrs. Blanca Juárez Lorca, Mayor ofSan Lorenzo de El Escorial.

Brother MaríaBermejo said in his speech that “bioethics must be an open door to the world,open to dialogue, to meeting others, to the freedom and to respect for allpeople regardless of language, culture, social condition or beliefs”.

The secondpaper this morning was given by Professor Francesc Torralba under the title“Ethics and the dignity of the human person”. Professor Torralba emphasised thefact that “human dignity cannot be a mere aesthetic concept, empty ofsubstance, or an embellishment of a text.. and on the question of humandignity, we cannot remain indifferent”.

The lastpaper of the morning entitled “Critical ethical questions in the life of theOrder” was delivered by the Italian doctor, María Teresa Iannone



THE WHOLECONGRESS WILL BE RE-STREAMED ON www.congresobioetica.com

CONSULT THEPROGRAMME ON: https://www.congresobioetica.com/programa/

INFORMATIONON THE SPEAKERS: https://www.congresobioetica.com/ponentes/


For moreinformation and requests for interviews with the speakers:

Adriana Castro. Tel.: 630 44 9523

Javier C.  Tel.: 636 96 09 72                                                                                    

Comunicación Fundación JuanCiudad: comunicacion@juanciudad.org  



 

Copyright © 2024 Fatebenefratelli