Cardinal acknowledges controversy on genetically modified food

Published: 2003-11-10

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The head of the Vatican's justice and peace council opened a controversial seminar on genetically modified food acknowledging sharp differences of opinion and serious vested interests in promoting or excluding their use. Cardinal Renato Martino, the council president, told participants Nov. 10 that human beings must use their intelligence to cultivate, and not destroy, the good things God has created. "To cultivate means to intervene, to decide, to make, to not allow plants to grow randomly," he said. "To cultivate means to increase and perfect so that better and more abundant fruits are produced." He said, "To cultivate means to order, to clean, to eliminate that which destroys or ruins. To cultivate is the best way to safeguard." Cardinal Martino told the participants, mainly scientists and government officials, that the meeting was designed to gather information about the safety, economics and ethical concerns surrounding genetically modified foods.

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