The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has responded to the sudden and controversial closure of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, citing "the serious economic impact of the Covid pandemic" as the prime reason for the funding crisis behind the closure.
It follows the announcement in July that the centre, considered not just the premier Christian bioethics institute in Britain but one of the finest in the world, would close by the end of the month.
In addition to causing shock, the announcement has been accompanied by reactions of consternation that have criticised the closure happening at such a critical moment for ethical issues and law in Great Britain, with legislation advancing in the UK Parliament to permit assisted suicide and to legalise abortion up to birth.
