The Ethics Center of the Isaac Abarbanel University Institute, the academic institution of higher education and research affiliated with the “Marshall T. Meyer” Seminary, is inaugurated in Rome. The new center was created in collaboration with Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
By Father Pawel Rytel-Andrianik
During the inauguration, Thursday, February 15, of the new Ethics Center of the Isaac Abarbanel University Institute in Rome, it was indicated that the meetings with Mgr. Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, allowed to conclude that Rome is the best place for such an institution that “will draw on global academic developments and diverse religious traditions, notably Abrahamic, and will be home to an interdisciplinary group of scholars, researchers and religious leaders.”
Rabbi Analía Bortz, who is the key figure in the creation of the bioethics committees in Chile and at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, emphasized the value of ethics in every human life. She cited the Psalms in Hebrew, which speak of the human being who needs God at all stages of his life.
“Artificial intelligence is a challenge for our society. This is one of the reasons why we need the Center for Ethics,” said Claudio Regazzoni, an Argentine doctor and politician, one of the founding members of the new Center. He pointed out that until now humans have had power over machines, but with artificial intelligence and algorithms this could change.
The president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, quoted Pope Francis in his speech: “We are not living in an era of change but a change of era.” “This is why such a center is important. And we need fraternity between religions, scientists and all humans,” he stressed.
The Ethics Center was founded by Rabbi Ariel Stofenmacher, rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary. The inauguration took place at the Focolare Meeting Point in Rome. As stated in the press release introducing the new Center, “Its main objective is to foster and develop education and research programs in the field of ethics, to train leaders committed to sound practices, to promote values in both public and private spheres and to work in applied ethics.
Inauguration of the Ethics Center
