University's conference launches new emphasis on bioethics education

Published: 2007-11-06

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (CNS) -- The beginning and end of human life were the focus of Franciscan University of Steubenville's first bioethics conference, marking the rollout of a new emphasis on Catholic bioethics education at the school. The Oct. 25-27 gathering featured programs by some of the nation's leading Catholic bioethicists, including three members of the President's Council on Bioethics, which advises the U.S. president. Sponsored by Franciscan University's new Institute of Bioethics, the conference, "Human Life: Its Beginning and End," was geared toward health care professionals who on a daily basis grapple with complex medical issues, particularly those engaged in human fertility and end-of-life challenges, according to Patrick Lee, director of the institute. Robert P. George, the McCormick professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University in New Jersey and a frequent collaborator on life issues with Lee, gave the first Paul and Barbara Henkels lecture, which is to be an annual lecture.

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