December 1, 2000
		Pope Bashes Biotech! In an unexpected move, Pope John Paul II spoke to an estimated 50,000 farmers in Italy against genetic engineering, saying that it was counter to God's will. Speaking November 12, the Pope implored the amassed to "resist the temptation of high productivity and profit that work to the detriment of the respect of nature." He continued that "when (farmers) forget this basic principle and become tyrants of the earth rather than its custodians... sooner or later the earth rebels." He added that if contemporary farming practices "don't reconcile themselves with the simple language of nature in a healthy balance, the life of man will run ever greater risks, of which we are seeing worrying signs." This is a turnaround for the Vatican, which had previously said it was not opposed to all biotechnology if it could benefit the hungry. Although Italy had already adopted a strong anti-biotech sentiment, it was expressed that his views could have far-reaching effect, especially in Catholic regions such as Latin America and parts of Africa. "In many parts of the world, the Pope's views on a wide variety of subjects are taken far more seriously than their own government's views or the results of any scientific survey," said Heart Turner, a Rome-based food safety consultant. Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato has consistently acted to tighten restrictions on gene-altered food products, moves that appear to be supported by public opinion. In August, Italy banned four kinds of genetically modified corn and refused to lift the ban when the European Union said that the corn was safe.