Alarmed at advances in genetic engineering, Pope John Paul II called Saturday for protecting the human embryo from experimentation that he said could "pose a fearful threat to man."
"The embryo must be recognized as a rights issue by the laws of nations or face putting humanity in danger," the pope said in a speech to the Scientific Academy of the Roman Catholic Church, a group of researchers and scientists.He warned governments to guard against social changes resulting from increased knowledge of genetic information. He mentioned possible discrimination against people found to suffer genetic flaws or intentional pairings of couples to try to produce genetically superior children.
The pontiff said recent insights into human genetic structure "put in the hands of doctors and biologists a knowledge that in certain applications could go beyond the medical field."
"Using the embryo as a pure object of analysis or experimentation is an attack on the dignity of a person and on humanity," the pontiff said. "It could pose a fearful threat to man."
The pope also made his first major public outing since fracturing his right shoulder in a fall on Nov. 11.
"As you see, he is a pope a bit deficient - deficient but not completely ruined," the pope joked during remarks before about 8,500 people at a Vatican conference on children.
The 73-year-old pontiff said he wore a red cape used mostly for "solemn occasions" to cover his right arm, which was in a sling. He said photographers "do not have the right" to take pictures of his bandages.
After he finished speaking, the Pope was applauded for almost a minute. He then stepped down to greet about 40 handicapped youngsters.
The pope also welcomed guests in the front row, including the co-discoverer of the AIDS virus, Dr. Luc Montagnier, and former Italian Premier Giulio Andreotti.