Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale812

life-changing challenge, helping them to learn that our hearts are made

to love and be loved. It is in self-giving that we come to live life in

all its fullness.

With these sentiments, I renew my gratitude to all of you and to all those

whom you represent. I ask God to watch over your many works of service

and to make them ever more spiritually fruitful, for the good of the Church

and of the whole world. To you and your associates I willingly impart my

Apostolic Blessing.

II

Occasione Conventus Internationalis de adultis staminalibus cellulis.*

Dear Brother Bishops,

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

Dear Friends,

I wish to thank Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical

Council for Culture, for his kind words and for promoting this International

Conference on Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and Culture. I

would also like to thank Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, President of the

Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Health Workers, and Bishop Ignacio

Carrasco de Paula, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life for their

contribution to this particular endeavour. A special word of gratitude goes

to the many benefactors whose support has made this event possible. In this

regard, I would like to express the Holy See's appreciation of all the work

that is done, by various institutions, to promote cultural and formative

initiatives aimed at supporting top-level scientific research on adult stem

cells and exploring the cultural, ethical and anthropological implications

of their use.

Scientific research provides a unique opportunity to explore the wonder

of the universe, the complexity of nature and the distinctive beauty of life,

including human life. But since human beings are endowed with immortal

souls and are created in the image and likeness of God, there are dimensions

of human existence that lie beyond the limits of what the natural sciences are

* Die 12 Novembris 2011.