Houston researcher tapped by Vatican for council on bioethics and moral theology
Mauro Ferrari, president of the Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute, recently returned from Italy, where he served on a new council of Pope Francis’ Pontifical Academy for Life, which focuses on issues of bioethics and Catholic moral theology. Tapped for a five-year appointment in the fall, Ferrari brings expertise in nanotechnology, the study and application of the ultra-small, things larger than atoms and molecules, but smaller than a bread crumb.
He spoke with the Houston Chronicle about the academy, how his faith shaped his world view and the ethical concerns posed by nanotechnology. Edited excerpts follow.
Q: How was the council? Was this your first meeting with a pope or had you met others before?
A: I’ve met other popes before but not in any meaningful way. I shook hands with Pope Benedict XVI in an interaction with many people. I’ve attended Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica with 3,000 people. But the notion of being at Vatican City in a small working group reporting to Pope Francis was unique. Hearing him give his ad-
dress and express his expectations for the council’s work gave me a great sense of responsibility.
Q: What led to your appointment?
A: It was a complete surprise, just came out of nowhere. I’m no expert in bioethics, but I’ve written a few papers on the issues raised by some of the new technologies. Maybe that’s where it came from.
Q: What kind of direction did Pope Francis give the academy?
A: The Pope made four fundamental points. First, he asked us to look at humans in a broader context, in the context of nature, creation, animal life, a kind of merging of bioethics and the environment. Second, he wants us to think about the issues to do with reproductive technologies in the context of parents’ responsibility of commitment and caring, a mission that can’t be reduced to the laboratory. Third is the notion of the central role of women in life, distinct from and complementary with the role of men. And fourth is the notion of accompaniment, (the bedside manner) health-care providers must bring to the vulnerable, the children, the elderly, the terminally sick — being together, sharing the experience, providing relief, providing support. This is a fundamental mission. Q: Who’s on the pontifical academy?
A: One of the big changes Pope Francis has brought is to open it up to non-Catholics. It now includes a rabbi from Israel, a bishop from the Anglican church in England, people from Muslim backgrounds and even people who profess no faith. It’s a very broad and diverse group, which I’m very happy about because the fundamental issues of medicine and bioethics are issues that concern all people.
Q: Do most members bring right-to-life or Catholic views?
A: I’d say probably 90 percent of the members are Catholics. But there is a variety of views and perspectives among Catholics. The majority of the people are philosophers, theologians or bioethicists, and quite a few are members of the clergy.
Q: A 2013 Vatican conference on regenerative medicine was slammed by Nature for “shamelessly promoting adult stem cell research.” Would anything at this meeting be considered controversial in some circles?
A: There wasn’t anything particularly divergent from the teachings of the Catholic Church, I guess, but the tone was moderate, balanced, respectful. These are touchy issues that elicit strong responses from both sides but that’s normal. I don’t think we should be scared of strong reactions. It would be abnormal if people didn’t have strong reactions. Strong reactions are necessary so people can engage in true dialogue and appreciate each other’s perspectives.
Q: So you are a strong Catholic who was raised in the faith in Italy, and now you practice in Houston?
A: Well there aren’t many choices available in Italy. My mother was very Catholic, my father wasn’t interested in religion. I was raised Catholic, have always been fundamentally Catholic and define myself as Catholic, but I’m comfortable with people of any religion. I attended a Lutheran church for years, have attended Methodist churches, worshipped in synagogues and Buddhist temples, you name it — any chance to share the fundamental components of human nature. I’m happy to have that opportunity.
Q: How has your faith shaped you?
A: For me, it helps me put others first. Life is service, life is giving. If you have the notion of God in your heart and soul, it helps you do that, it reminds you to do that, especially when the going gets tough.
Q: You experienced a tough period when your wife died of cancer at age 32. How did that affect you?
A: Yes, that was the transformative event of my life. I was a professor at UC Berkeley working on high-tech and mathematical physics, not medicine. I decided I was going to use everything I know to improve medicine, to try to cure diseases, to give it all I’ve got. When I’m tired or depressed or everything’s going the wrong way, the attempt to turn the pain into good things for other people is what carries me through. That’s the fundamental lesson of faith to me.
Q: I’ve seen statistics on the rarity of faith in scientists, particularly physicists. Do you feel a certain tension or isolation because of your faith?
A: (Laughs.) Yes, that’s true — though in some places more than others. Being at Houston Methodist, a faithbased hospital, is a big relief, a heartwarming experience that I’ve never had before. Here they respect everyone’s religion. Academe can be fairly hostile to religion. But I found when you go out and talk openly about your faith — which I do now, I give talks about science and faith — you’d be surprised how many people contact me afterward to say, ‘Thanks, I didn’t know it was OK to talk about faith as a scientist. Now I’m going to do it too.’ So I’m not sure the official statistics people talk about correspond to reality.
Q: Does nanotechnology raise any new ethical concerns?
A: I don’t think it brings up any new ones, like those that emerged with, say, the genetic revolution. But existing concerns can be heightened because nanotechnology is such a powerful technique — drug side effects that could unintentionally hurt people. That’s true for all drug classes, but what if a drug being developed turns out to be a platform for biological weapons? That probably couldn’t happen with certain types of drugs, but it’s more of a possibility with nanotechnology or virus technology.