Five new members from four nationalities (Japan, Argentina, Spain, Italy), three laypeople and two clerics, were appointed by Pope Francis to the Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life on Saturday, 5 August 2017. They are:
Prof. Etsuko Akiba, professor of law at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Toyama (Japan).
Dr. Mónica López Barahona, General Academic Director of the Biosciences Studies Centre, president of the Spanish Delegation of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation and director of the Foundation’s Jérôme Lejeune Chair of Bioethics, Madrid (Spain).
Prof. Adriano Pessina, professor of moral philosophy and director of the Athenaeum Centre for Bioethics of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan (Italy).
Bishop Carlos Simón Vázquez, delegate for the Family and Life Section of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. (Spain).
Bishop Alberto Germán Bochatey, auxiliary of La Plata, professor of bioethics and vice chancellor of the Catholic University of La Plata (Argentina)
The Pontifical Academy for Life adopted new statutes in January of this year, signed by Pope Francisco in December 2016, valid for five years. In June 2017, the Holy Father appointed 45 new ordinary members and 5 honorary members of the Pontifical Academy for Life. In July 2017, The Governing Council of PAS appointed 89 Corresponding Members and 13 Young Researchers of the Academy.
The Academy is headed by Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, former President of the Pontifical Council for the Family and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family at the Pontifical Lateran University.
