CSDC 459

A central point of reference for every scientific and technological application is respect for men and women, which must also be accompanied by a necessary attitude of respect for other living creatures. Even when thought is given to making some change in them, “one must take into account the nature of each being and of its mutual connection in an ordered system”.⁹⁶² John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 34: AAS 80AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 80 (1988) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1988), 559. In this sense, the formidable possibilities of biological research raise grave concerns, in that “we are not yet in a position to assess the biological disturbance that could result from indiscriminate genetic manipulation and from the unscrupulous development of new forms of plant and animal life, to say nothing of unacceptable experimentation regarding the origins of human life itself”.⁹⁶³ John Paul II, Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace, 7: AAS 82AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 82 (1990) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1990), 151. In fact, “it is now clear that the application of these discoveries in the fields of industry and agriculture have produced harmful long-term effects. This has led to the painful realization that we cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations”.⁹⁶⁴ John Paul II, Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace, 6: AAS 82AAS — Acta Apostolicae Sedis (official gazette of the Holy See)Volume 82 (1990) at vatican.va — scanned PDF (1990), 150.