Vatican lists new sins, including pollution

THOU shall not pollute the Earth.

Thou shall beware of genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them modern sins.

So the Vatican has told the faithful they should be aware of “new” sins such as causing environmental blight.

The guidance has come from Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the Vatican’s number two man in the sometimes murky area of sins and penance, in speaking on modern evils.

“[Within bioethics] there are areas where we absolutely must denounce some violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments and genetic manipulation whose outcome is difficult to predict and control,” he said.

Girotti, also listed drug trafficking and social and economic injustices as modern sins.

The Vatican opposes stem cell research that involves destruction of embryos and has warned against the prospect of human cloning.

Pope Benedict has made strong appeals for the protection of the environment, saying issues such as climate change had become gravely important for the human race.

The Vatican has become progressively “green”.

It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the global warming and climate change.