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Catholic Australian Politician Would Rather Go to Hell Than Back Down on Embryonic Stem-cell Research

By Peter J. Smith

SYDNEY, Australia, June 6, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Catholic politician in New South Wales has told the Archbishop of Sydney he would rather go to Hell than oppose legislation legalizing human cloning for embryonic stem-cell research. Several other politicians are persisting in publicly defying Australia's Cardinal Pell, who condemned embryonic stem-cell research and the decisions of those who support such research in unequivocal terms.

Archbishop George Cardinal Pell, leader of the Catholic Church in Australia, told Catholic state lawmakers Tuesday that human cloning and destruction of embryos for research was a “serious moral matter” and their votes would have “consequences” for their lives in the Church.

“Maybe I'll go to Hell, but if I go to Hell I'm going to do so by saving a lot of lives, because that's what this bill is about," said Tony Stewart. "We don't need a religious leader telling members of parliament what should be done."

Pell did not mention “excommunication”, but did tell reporters that he may deny Premier Morris Iemma Communion, prompting outrage from Iemma and other “Catholic” politicians, incredulous that the Cardinal would dare sanction them for openly rejecting the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life.

"He won't be dissuading me from doing what I believe is the right thing and that is supporting the bill," said a defiant Iemma, who disbelieved that Pell meant what he said or that any parish priest in the Sydney Archdiocese would deny him Communion.

Both Iemma and his deputy, John Watkins, are the highest-profile “practicing” Catholics behind the destructive cloning bill, which Pell called incompatible with the Catholic faith and “a perverse new direction for human experimentation.”

The bill would permit “human-animal hybrids”, “fertilizing immature eggs from aborted girls with adult male sperm” to form new embryos, and “mixing the genetic material of more than two persons” and destroying them at 14 days for their stem-cells.

“It passes the moral and ethical issues and gives people hope,” said Iemma.

However pro-life advocates point out that these claims have no foundation in facts since embryonic stem-cell research has so far yielded no cures. On the other hand reports show a consistent stream of successful stem-cell therapies from perfectly ethical adult stem cells or umbilical cord blood, which are giving many people real hope and real cures, not unsubstantiated promises.

A number of politicians have demanded that Pell apologize for involving himself in the political process. Others, such as Health Minister Tony Abbott, came to the Archbishop’s defense.

"Cardinal Pell is entitled to say his piece. He is the leader of the Catholic Church here in Australia," Abbott told reporters in Sydney. "What he appeared to be saying, to me, was that this was a serious matter and people need to carefully consider the traditional teaching, they should not lightly dismiss it…And if they do dismiss it, that’s a matter for their consciences - and that’s a perfectly reasonable position for him to take."

Lawmakers for New South Wales have a conscience vote on the bill tonight after wrapping up the debate, and could bring the state into conformity with the federal cloning law.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Cardinal George Pell May Withhold Communion From New South Wales Premier Over Cloning
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07060511.html

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