400(th )ANNIVERSARY OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF THE SCIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2003 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received members of the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences which is celebrating their 400(th) anniversary with a meeting. The Pope briefly reviewed the history of the institution, whose predecessor the Academy dei Lincei was founded in 1603 in Rome by Federico Cesi due to the impetus of Pope Clement VIII, restored in 1847 by Pius IX and reestablished in 1936 by Pius XI.

'We are united,' said the Pope at the beginning of his speech, 'in our common desire to correct misunderstandings and even more to allow ourselves to be enlightened by the one Truth which governs the world and guides the lives of all men and women.'

John Paul II observed that the first theme of the meeting, 'Mind, Brain and Education,' draws our attention to 'the complexity of human life and its pre-eminence over other forms of life. ' Scientists today often recognize the need to maintain a distinction between the mind and the brain, or between the person acting with free will and the biological factors which sustain his intellect and capacity to learn. In this distinction, which need not be a separation, we can see the foundation of that spiritual dimension proper to the human person which biblical Revelation explains as a special relationship with God the Creator.'

Referring to the meeting's second topic, 'Stem Cell Technology and Other Innovative Therapies,' the Pope recalled that 'research in this field has understandably grown in importance in recent years because of the hope it offers for the cure of ills affecting many people.'

He concluded by saying: 'I have on other occasions stated that stem cells for purposes of experimentation or treatment cannot come from human embryo tissue. I have instead encouraged research on adult human tissue or tissue superfluous to normal fetal development. Any treatment which claims to save human lives, yet is based upon the destruction of human life in its embryonic state, is logically and morally contradictory, as is any production of human embryos for the direct or indirect purpose of experimentation or eventual destruction.'

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