European Bishops Criticise Minister Mussi On Stem Cells

AGI ^ | 06.01.06

[Coleus]

- Vatican City, Jun 1 - It is not just the Italian Church which is concerned about Italy's decision to drop its ethical reserve on the issue of tests involving embryonic stem cells that was previously shared with the EU. Now, minister Fabio Mussi is being criticised also by the whole European Episcopate. "We reiterate" an official statement of Comece (Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Communities) reads "that we are against a EU-subsidized research implying the destruction of human embryos". Taking stance in the ongoing debate on the definition of the seventh framework programme on research, " European bishops' position is in line with the invitation by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) and its president Cardinal Ruini to abide by the principle of subsidiarity" said Lodi's Bishop monsignor Giuseppe Merisi, who is CEI's representative to the Comece.

"European bishops have always paid special attention to ethical and anthropological issues" monsignor Merisi recalled in a statement published by the Italian Church's Religious Information Service "to make sure that EU directives and decisions will promote common goods and the life and dignity of human beings". In order to explain the negative reaction to Italy's recent decision within the EU with respect to the support of European research on stem cells, monsignor Merisi recalled that "with regard to the research programmes involving human embryos" Comece published a statement last year entitled "Community financing of research and ethics", in which the body expressed its fears ""of a possible violation of fundamental ethical principles". Moreover, in the past few weks, Comece had asked the bishops representing the national Episcopal conferences to start working in view of the upcoming debates in each member state".