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CANADIAN CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS ISSUES STEM CELL DOCUMENT

OTTAWA, May 24, 2001 (LSN.ca) - The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), an arm of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) organization has issued a response to the discussion paper published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research on human stem cell research.

The COLF paper, released yesterday, points out clearly, citing professional reports, that science confirms that embryos are human beings from conception. "There is no longer any question that the embryo is a human being. This is not only a well accepted scientific given but the very reason why the human embryo is so valuable to researchers," says the COLF paper. The letter notes that "The issue today is whether this most vulnerable human being will be treated and respected as a person" as Catholic teaching mandates.

The letter argues against the use of 'spare' embryos from fertility treatments for experimentation. Without mentioning the Catholic teaching against in vitro fertilization, the letter reports that horrendous loss of life associated with the procedure, recalling the widely publicized destruction of over 3,000 embryos in Britain some years ago. The paper says that this research would encourage the production of 'spare' embryos and "will only aggravate the link between the process of in vitro fertilization and the destruction of human embryos."

The CCCB totally rejects the middle ground stance espoused by the CIHR and the Canadian government which would give "the human embryo a special moral status because of its potential to develop into a human being . . . (thus although the human embryo) has a right to protection, this right is not absolute and can be overridden; for example, by the possibility of a major benefit to other humans and to society in general." The CCCB condemns any such research "knowing that the research subject, a human being, will be destroyed."

"No amount of public benefit can ever justify the deliberate killing of a human being," says the paper noting the moral teaching that "both the means and the objective must be good." The CCCB states it does not object to "CIHR funding research on stem cells taken from non germ cell human fetal tissue resulting from spontaneous abortions (miscarriages)." The paper criticizes the CIHR, a publicly funded agency, for promoting and funding "a research policy that can't help but be particularly offensive to those who believe for scientific, religious, moral or social reasons that it involves the taking of human life." The CCCB recommends the CIHR "concentrate on funding research on adult stem cells because it would not involve the destruction of human life" which "would facilitate scientific progress while respecting human dignity."

For the complete COLF paper see:
http://www.cccb.ca/docs/stem-cell.htm

See related LifeSite coverage:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/mar/010329.html

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