Ignacio Carrasco de Paula
Encyclopedia
Ignacio Carrasco de Paula (born 25 October 1937) is the current president of the Pontifical Academy for Life
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
on 30 June 2010.
Carrasco de Paula was born in Barcelona
, Spain
. He was ordained a priest for the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei
on 8 August 1966 at the age of 28. He was director of the Bioethics Institute of the University of the Sacred Heart
in Rome and is a member of the ethics committee for experimentation clinic at the Gemelli Policlinic
of Rome. He began to work in the academy in 1994, when it was established by John Paul II. Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini called him and asked me to assist as a consultor of the department.
He served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life from 3 January 2005 until his appointment as president of the Academy in June 2010 after Archbishop
Salvatore Fisichella
as President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
on the same day.
He was appointed Titular Bishop
of Thapsus on 15 September 2010 and received episcopal ordination on 9 October. Ordained in the same cermoney were Enrico dal Covolo, S.D.B. rector of the Pontifical Lateran University
, Archbishop Giorgio Lingua
and Archbishop Joseph William Tobin
, C.SS.R.
In October 2010 Bishop Carrasco de Paula criticised a decision to award the Nobel Prize for Medicine to IVF pioneer Robert Edwards, a process that brought parenthood to infertile couples. Bishop Carrasco de Paula said that "I find the choice of Robert Edwards
completely out of order. Without Edwards, there would not be a market on which millions of ovocytes are sold ... and there would not be a large number of freezers filled with embryo
s in the world," he told the ANSA news agency. "In the best of cases they are transferred into a uterus, but most probably they will end up abandoned or dead, which is a problem for which the new Nobel Prize
winner is responsible."
In August 2011 Bishop Carrasco de Paula said, “The reaction to the news of becoming a mother should return to being what it has always been, a reaction of joy” that leads us to say “congratulations.” He added that the response to a mother should not be “I'm so sorry,' like we say to people who get sick.” He added that the focus in 2011 has been on three areas: post-abortion trauma, umbilical cord banks and treatments for infertility. Regarding post-abortion trauma, he said it is necessary that the condition be “defined as well as whether or not there is a cure.”
Pontifical Academy for Life
The Pontifical Academy for Life or Pontificia Accademia Pro Vita is a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic...
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on 30 June 2010.
Carrasco de Paula was born in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was ordained a priest for the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
on 8 August 1966 at the age of 28. He was director of the Bioethics Institute of the University of the Sacred Heart
University of the Sacred Heart
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón —or Sacred Heart University in English, or simply Sagrado. Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico is a higher education institution based in Santurce, Puerto Rico and one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious institutions in Puerto Rico.Its...
in Rome and is a member of the ethics committee for experimentation clinic at the Gemelli Policlinic
Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic
The Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic is a large general hospital of 1,850 beds in Rome, Italy. It serves as the teaching hospital for the medical school of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , and owes its name to the university founder, the Franciscan friar, physician and psychologist...
of Rome. He began to work in the academy in 1994, when it was established by John Paul II. Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini called him and asked me to assist as a consultor of the department.
He served as chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life from 3 January 2005 until his appointment as president of the Academy in June 2010 after Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Salvatore Fisichella
Rino Fisichella
Salvatore Rino Fisichella is an Italian titular archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current and first President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation...
as President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation
The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization is a dicastery of the Roman Curia whose creation was announced by Pope Benedict XVI at vespers on 28 June 2010, eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul...
on the same day.
He was appointed Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Thapsus on 15 September 2010 and received episcopal ordination on 9 October. Ordained in the same cermoney were Enrico dal Covolo, S.D.B. rector of the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
, Archbishop Giorgio Lingua
Giorgio Lingua
Giorgio Lingua is the current Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq and Jordan since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 4 September 2010....
and Archbishop Joseph William Tobin
Joseph William Tobin
Joseph William Tobin C.Ss.R is the current secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 2 August 2010....
, C.SS.R.
In October 2010 Bishop Carrasco de Paula criticised a decision to award the Nobel Prize for Medicine to IVF pioneer Robert Edwards, a process that brought parenthood to infertile couples. Bishop Carrasco de Paula said that "I find the choice of Robert Edwards
Robert Edwards
Robert Edwards may refer to:In sport:* Robert Edwards , American Football player for the New England Patriots and Toronto Argonauts...
completely out of order. Without Edwards, there would not be a market on which millions of ovocytes are sold ... and there would not be a large number of freezers filled with embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
s in the world," he told the ANSA news agency. "In the best of cases they are transferred into a uterus, but most probably they will end up abandoned or dead, which is a problem for which the new Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner is responsible."
In August 2011 Bishop Carrasco de Paula said, “The reaction to the news of becoming a mother should return to being what it has always been, a reaction of joy” that leads us to say “congratulations.” He added that the response to a mother should not be “I'm so sorry,' like we say to people who get sick.” He added that the focus in 2011 has been on three areas: post-abortion trauma, umbilical cord banks and treatments for infertility. Regarding post-abortion trauma, he said it is necessary that the condition be “defined as well as whether or not there is a cure.”