The 1st Bioethics Conference of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was successfully completed, which was held in Rethymno, Crete, under the auspicies of Metropolitan Prodromos of Rethymno and Avlopotamos.
Archbishop Makarios read the conclusions of the Conference, which were welcomed by the participants. It is worth noting that all those present expressed the wish that the Bioethics Conference of the Ecumenical Patriarchate should now become an annual event and be convened in the Metropolis of Rethymno and Avlopotamos.
After the presentations and fruitful reflection, the following conclusions were drawn and proposed for further discussion:
- The most basic principle that should delimit, describe or govern the Orthodox belief in regard to Bioethics is the respect for the sanctity of the human beings before birth, during their life and after death.
- In the field of Bioethics we tend to talk about rights but rarely about responsibilities. In the field of Theology, constant emphasis is put upon responsibility and almost never upon rights, at least in the way they are understood by secular perception. The renunciation of rights is when one is inspired by the example of Christ, who was self-limited, self-reduced, self-humiliated and crucified voluntarily, sinless in order to save humans.
- The concept of “having individual rights” in Orthodox Theology is mirrored in the respect for human beings. It is an authentic expression of a moral responsibility which can become an ally and partner of Science for the protection of humans. Our responsibility is undoubtedly the spirit of sacrifice. At the same time, there should be a clear distinction between the concept of “right” and “entitlement” which is projected in the modern world in a way that nullifies the original goal of the establishment of universal human rights.
- Refusal to vaccinate, as it was the case during the pandemic, pointing out the principles of “privacy” and “entitlement”, opposes to the principle of “responsibility”. Diseases as well as health are not only individual matters because they concern and affect the people around us.
- In the Orthodox Tradition, the interdependence of physical and mental health is highlighted and, therefore, science and modern medical practice cannot overlook the philanthropic values of our Tradition, as well as the contribution and the long experience of the Church in caring about those who are in need.
- Orthodox theology does not seek to make up arguments that will validate its decisions. For the Church, the great issue, for each person and scientist, is communion with God. At the core of Orthodox spirituality is the renunciation of individual rights and their replacement with love for the sake of others. This is, after all, the meaning of “true freedom”, which Christ gives us in His Church.
- Humans have been granted a unique “right” by God, and this is none other than the “in the image of God”. At the same time, everyone has been endowed with the gift of “in the likeness of God”. Therefore, we must strive, “with God’s help”, to be led to the “eternal recognition of humans”, that is, to the “Theosis” (deification). On the basis of such an understanding of our rights and responsibilities as persons within the Church, the essential thing is to concetrate on the “rights of God”, that is, the “Your will be done” of the Sunday prayer. In this context, bioethical and other issues become clearer.
