in february 2012, the academy presented a one-day workshop on moral responses to infertility, specifically the need for the scientific community to prevent infertility and develop ethical alternatives to in vitro fertilization. academy member josef seifert, an austrian philosopher, and several others later complained that the meeting included speakers who did not oppose in vitro fertilization and objected to including supporters of embryonic stem cell research to participate in a vatican-sponsored conference on stem cell research. cardinal gianfranco ravasi, head of the pontifical council for culture, defended dialogue with scientists who did not share the church's views on moral issues, while michel schooyans, an academy member, said such dialogue under vatican auspices was "compromising the vatican" and likely to confuse the faithful.