“Doctors and all health workers must never abandon a blending of science, technical expertise and humanity”. His comments came in an address to participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life. The Pontiff received them as they embarked on their studies.
On this occasion, he reminded listeners that “science and technology were not enough: to do well, we need a warm heart”, regretting the fact that today, “Human nature is increasingly reduced to a malleable material that can be moulded to any design”. Also, as far as the Pope is concerned, “the first thing to safeguard, so that it bears fruit, is our own humanity”.
Addressing health professionals, the Pope reiterated the importance of the human dimension to
the medical approach: “Doing good is not the correct application of medical ethics but it presupposes a real concern for the fragile human being”, and he invited students to “embrace and take care of human life with the dignity it deserves, regardless of the circumstances”.
He welcomed the fact that, “contemporary culture is still cable of recognising that, regardless of living conditions, human beings are valuable and worthy of protection”.
Finally, he concluded his address with a warning: “We must be very aware of new ideological colonisations that insinuate themselves into the minds of humans, including Christians, under the form of virtues, modernity and new attitudes. However, in reality, these colonisations take away our freedom and are ideological in that they are afraid of reality as created by God”.
Zenit (03/03/2016)