30th March 2026 – Today marks the launch of a new international bioethics network, the Augustine Bioethics Network (ABN). Endorsed and actively supported by the Catholic Medical Association UK, ABN exists to promote a vision of bioethics that encompasses both the dignity and the vulnerability of every human person.
Established to meet the urgent need for ethical bioethics research, the network connects people with experience and expertise from different countries, conducts research and scholarship in bioethics, publishes resources and promotes constructive engagement in public policy on bioethics.
Prof. David Jones, Committee Secretary of the Augustine Bioethics Network, said “There has never been a greater need for serious ethical reflection on healthcare: on issues such as assisted suicide, conscientious objection, resources allocation, gene editing, abortion and the use of artificial intelligence. Currently, the majority of academic bioethics mixes a focus on autonomy with utility. In contrast, the Augustine Bioethics Network has been established to discover and give voice to a more profound vision of bioethics that encompasses both the dignity and the vulnerability of every human person, a vision it finds in the great philosopher and theologian, Augustine of Hippo.”
Dr. Adrian Farrell, President of the Catholic Medical Association, said “Medicine in the 21st Century, facing the application of rapid Scientific advances needs a strong, stable ethical framework. The Augustine Bioethics Network has been launched to provide resources and expertise to address such ethical challenges. The Catholic Medical Association UK is delighted to endorse this initiative and looks forward to working with the ABN.”
The ABN, whose committee members include Professor David Albert Jones and Professor Neil Scolding and advisory board includes Professor Daniel Sulmasy and Professor the Baroness Sheila Hollins, will host an event on 14 April to officially mark the launch of the international network. It will consider the attempts to introduce assisted suicide legislation in England, Wales, and Scotland. More details can be found on abnethics.org, which is regularly updated with the latest bioethics news and resources and details of talks, seminars and courses.
