Wednesday July 7, 2010
Notre Dame Honored GE Despite Embryonic Stem Cell Research
SOUTH BEND, Indiana, July 7, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The University of Notre Dame has ignored a request to rescind the University’s May 2010 honoring of General Electric (GE) for “values-based decision making,” despite the company’s involvement with embryonic stem cell research.
In a letter dated June 1 to Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick J. Reilly wrote, “Given Notre Dame’s Catholic identity, especially considering its ‘Statement Supporting the Choice for Life’ issued a month ago, it is contradictory and potentially scandalous for the University to honor a company which is in clear conflict with the teaching of the Catholic Church.”
“Although the award has already been given to General Electric,” continued Reilly, “I strongly encourage you to publicly revoke the honor so that progress made by Notre Dame as a Catholic, pro-life institution may continue. Most importantly, I suggest that this honor and last year’s commencement controversy point to the value of a consistent university policy on honors and platforms to uphold Notre Dame’s Catholic mission.”
As of this date, The Cardinal Newman Society has not received a response from the University.
On May 28, the University of Notre Dame issued a press release announcing the 2010 recipients of the Mendoza School of Business’s Notre Dame Executive Education awards. GE was among the awardees honored for “commitment to values-based decision making.”
Last year, GE launched a partnership with Geron Corp., a world leader in embryonic stem cell research and cloning, to sell products derived from embryonic stem cells. Reuters reported that Konstantin Fiedler, general manager of cell technologies at GE Healthcare, said, “This could replace, to a large extent, animal trials. Once you have human cells and you can get them in a standardized way, like you get right now your lab rats in a standardized way, you can actually do those experiments on those cells.”
In April, Forbes Magazine identified Geron (citing the partnership with General Electric) as one of four “standard-bearers for stem cell therapies.” Forbes noted that “Geron’s treatment for spinal cord injury was the first human embryonic stem cell therapy to receive FDA approval for a clinical trial.” In 2000, Geron patented the technologies used to create the infamous cloned sheep “Dolly.”
There are also indications that GE may itself be engaged in embryonic stem cell research, or at least intends to pursue it. In 2008, GE identified “[r]esearch involving embryonic stem cells” as a company priority in demonstrating “responsible citizenship.”
And since 2005, GE company policy has allowed research using embryonic stem cell lines that are approved for use by the federal government. Last year President Barack Obama allowed federal funding for research using new stem cell lines from destroyed human embryos—but even President George W. Bush’s limited approval or research on pre-existing stem cell lines was condemned by the U.S. bishops as “morally unacceptable.”
The U.S. bishops also mandated in 2004: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
In June The Cardinal Newman Society protested Boston College’s decision to honor General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, who delivered the university’s commencement address and was awarded an honorary degree.