Contact: Stephen Phelan, Human Life International, 540-622-5270, SPhelan@hli.org

FRONT ROYAL, Va., Oct. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- Human Life International's Interim President, Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula, today blasted the Nobel Committee for awarding Dr. Robert Edwards the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in developing in vitro fertilization (IVF), the process by which human beings are created in Petri dishes for any reason.

"One wonders what else the Nobel Committee could do to further harm its own reputation," said Msgr. Barriero. "To avoid the ethical difficulties of Dr. Edwards' work is to duck the primary responsibility the Nobel Foundation has as the world's champions of scientific achievement."

"This scientist is regarded as a hero, but what he has really done is to create a market for manufactured humanity," said Msgr. Barreiro. "This is not a gift to humanity, it is a death sentence to millions of tiny human beings who are created only to be destroyed."

"This is what happens, as Pope Paul VI warned in the prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae, when society separates the unitive and procreative aspects of the gift of sexuality," said Msgr. Barreiro. "Sexuality and even life itself become emptied of meaning, and become commodities to be manipulated, bought and sold at the whim of the powerful."

"Further, Dr. Edwards' supposedly great accomplishment has also created a means for the ultra-rich to tamper with every genetic aspect of the person, creating designer human beings," said Msgr. Barreiro. "Sadly, we are reminded that the very real good of science can be destroyed when fundamental and universal ethical principles are kept out of the scientific process -- in this case, the great value and dignity of the human person."

Human Life International: Pro-Life Missionaries to the World

Founded in 1981, HLI is the world's largest pro-life organization and has affiliates in over 100 countries on six continents.