To
participants in a Congress on Twin Studies
The defence of life and the
dignity of the human person
must be the
To participants in the Sixth
International Congress on Twin Studies at
Professor Gedda,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1.I am very pleased to greet you, the
distinguished physicians, biologists, psychologists and
educators
who have come to
The
importance of this congress is apparent not only from the breadth and
complexity of the
matters
under discussion, but also from the multidisciplinary approach which the International
Society for Twin Studies has been able to provide in each of its congresses.
Your society is fulfilling its stated objectives of research and development in
all those scientific fields which are allied to Twin Studies. As a result, it
is making a solid contribution to the nascent science of Twin Studies itself,
while also addressing the concrete needs of twins and their families.
2.At present, it is widely recognized that the
study of twinning, particularly in the areas of
physiology
and pathology, has expanded significantly
our knowledge of genetics in general and of heredity in particular. Here
too, you society has made a marked contribution, and has stimulated new
interest on the part of many scientists and researchers.
Indeed,
twinning has proved to be a rich source of new biological data regarding the
beginnings of human life. The comparison of biological processes present in
twins has helped to clarify the extent to which both heredity and environment
affect human life. As a result, the many developments within the field of Twin
Studies serve to increase our knowledge not only of various questions of
genetics, but also of questions concerned with the specific phenomenon of
twinning: its appearance, as well as the problems it raises in terms of
physiology, psychology and family or social adjustment.
The study of multiple pregnancy also tends to strengthen the conviction that the defence of
life and the dignity of the human person must be of paramount concern in all
scientific research. Similarly, recent developments in our understanding of
the phenomenon of twinning have helped curtail a certain tendency which
considered the termination of pregnancy a justifiable medical procedure. Such
developments have also demonstrated the unacceptability, in moral as well as in
strictly scientific terms, of all forms of genetic manipulation.
Recent advances in Twin Studies have also
yielded results which can find fruitful application in the fields of general
human physiology and pathology. This progress in turn has served to confirm the
fact that, once the divine gift of life becomes the object of study and
research, every individual contribution
to our knowledge immediately becomes of service to the entire human species and
to each of its members. Twin Studies have thus contributed to the growing
recognition that all human life is sacred,
and that any assault on life, especially that of
procured abortion, is in fact a denial of God's law as it is written in the
heart of each person.
3.The large number of twins in today’s world and the
many issues connected with their
upbringing
and education, both at home and in the larger society, have raised a number
of complex problems. Your congress has chosen
to examine some of these, especially as they relate to the adjustment of twins within family and social settings. Solutions to these problems will require not only joining forces with many
agencies, but also training specialized personnel and encouraging both families
and various social institutions to become more sensitive to twins and to the
challenges they face. I am certain that this congress, composed as it is of so
many distinguished scientists and researchers from throughout the world, will contribute
significantly to progress in this direction.
The programme
of your congress is clearly inspired by the ends and objectives which your
society has officially professed. But if your work is regarded from a spiritual
standpoint, it can be seen that it is also inspired by a vision of man which finds in Christian revelation a sure basis for its
hope and for a truly constructive optimism. The times in which we live,
much more than any period in the past, demand that new discoveries be ever more
“humane”, ever more beneficial to humanity. And the measure of humanity come-of-age can only be a full and
unconditional service offered to life.
On this earth, man is the only
creature whom God created and willed for himself, since it was God who
immediately created the spiritual soul of each human being. For this reason,
God alone remains the Lord of life, from
its very beginnings to its natural end. When research and higher studies on man and
the human condition draw their inspiration from this elementary yet profound
truth, not only do they place themselves at the genuine service of man, but
they also come to know a real and irreversible progress, whatever their area of
reflection or research. This truth has found a striking confirmation in the
recent advances made in the field of Twin Studies.
Ladies and Gentlemen: as scientists,
you have come together from all over the world in order to share the results of
your research, to raise new questions and to establish an even more fruitful
collaboration with one another. May all that you accomplish in these days be an
authentic defence and promotion of the dignity of the
human person. May Almighty God bless your noble work,
your families, and all those who benefit from your dedicated service.