As iconic British Catholic bioethics center closes, fellow academics dub move a ‘tragedy’
Summary
Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford, the UK’s oldest Catholic bioethics research institute, has closed due to financial strain imposed by its trustee (Catholic Trust for England and Wales). The decision sparked widespread concern among scholars, who described it as a “tragedy.” The centre had played a prominent role in public bioethical debates and policy engagement for nearly 50 years.
Relevance
This news underscores the vulnerability of Catholic ethics institutions in secular settings, especially when funding and institutional backing falter.