Posted on 01/26/2007 8:24:45 AM PST by CedarDave
SANTA FE — New Mexico's Roman Catholic bishops pressed Gov. Bill Richardson again Thursday to reconsider his plan to spend state money on stem cell research.
The bishops, in a meeting with Richardson, reiterated their opposition to embryonic stem cell research. Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan called it "a pro-life issue.''
"Even a small embryo is a human being. ... It's not potential human life. It is human life,'' Sheehan said at a news conference at the Capitol.
The governor proposes the state spend $10 million over the next three years on facilities, equipment, training and staffing at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center for both adult and embryonic stem cell research.
Richardson, who is running for the Democratic Party's nomination for president in 2008, is a Catholic. Sheehan said he hopes "that he would bring ... those beliefs to his work.''
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Under the proposal, the capital money would be used to build an area devoted to embryonic stem cell research — making it a state-funded space to get around the ban on working with embryonic stem cells in a space built with federal funds.
"We hope that there wouldn't be public money, tax money, used to develop research that is ethically problematic,'' Sheehan said.
The clergymen — including Bishops Ricardo Ramirez of the Diocese of Las Cruces and Donald Pelotte of the Diocese of Gallup — said they do not oppose research that uses adult stem cells or stem cells from amniotic fluid. Their objection is to research that requires killing embryos.
"There is a good way of doing scientific research. There is a wrong way of doing scientific research,'' Ramirez said.
"The governor will consider their concerns,'' a spokesman for Richardson, Gilbert Gallegos, said after the meeting.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
For pro-life PING lists
Also from the article, the church, which represents about one-third of New Mexicans, or 600,000 people, supports a requirement that parents be notified when minors seek abortions.
Of course, the AP headline editors make it appear that the Catholic bishops oppose ALL stem cell research. You have to get into the story to see that, of course, it is only embryonic stem cell research that is an issue for the church.
Yeah, the same way that Kerry, Kennedy and Pelosi bring those beliefs to their work. CINO's all, and I'm sure FReepers can name others, too.
I know Bishop Pelotte's brother, a Priest. If the Bishop is anything like his brother, his flock is well served.
bump
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