Posted on 06/28/2006 10:26:51 AM PDT by NYer
(ANSA) - Vatican City, June 28 - The Vatican stepped up its fight against embryonic stem cell research on Wednesday, saying that scientists involved in such work would be excommunicated .
Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, head of the Vatican department dealing with family affairs, said in a magazine interview that "destroying human embryos is equivalent to an abortion... it's the same thing" .
"Excommunication applies to all women, doctors and researchers who eliminate embryos," the cardinal told Catholic publication Famiglia Cristiana .
Trujillo said that "certain crimes" were being treated as if they had "become rights" .
He added that the Catholic Church was worried because "even talking about the defence of life and family rights is being treated as a sort of crime against the state in some countries - a form of social disobedience or discrimination against women" .
Embryonic stem-cell research techniques involve destroying human embryos to extract their stem cells. Stem cells are 'blank' cells which have the ability to grow into any tissue of the body. Scientists think they could eventually be used to treat a host of ailments including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and diabetes .
The stem cells of very early embryos are preferred because they can become any kind of cell whereas adult stem cells are less flexible. Despite popular support, embryonic stem cell research is opposed by pro-life groups and many conservative lawmakers because the human embryo must be destroyed before its stem cells can be removed .
The Vatican considers all embryonic research morally unacceptable even if the embryos involved are ones left over from fertility treatments or abortions .
Such research is forbidden in Italy under a 2004 law regulating assisted fertility practices and passed by a cross-party alliance of Catholic lawmakers .
The new centre-left government led by Premier Romano Prodi says it has no immediate plans to ease the controversial legislation, which bans the use of donor sperm or eggs, surrogate mothers and embryo freezing or experimentation .
However, Education Minister Fabio Mussi triggered a storm earlier this month by withdrawing Italy's signature from a document with which four EU countries and the Vatican objected to the use of EU funds for embryonic stem cell research .
By withdrawing the backing given by his centre-right predecessor, Mussi ended the minority group's power to block the release of funding .
Mussi's move was condemned by the Vatican and Catholic politicians on both sides of the political divide and resulted in the creation of a bioethics committee headed by Interior Minister Giuliano Amato to establish the government's line on such controversial questions .
The committee subsequently adopted a stance that appeared to evade the question of whether stem cell research was acceptable or not .
It said the withdrawal of Italy's signature from the 'ethics declaration' also signed by Germany, Poland and Slovakia, had a technical motivation .
Italian support had been removed because ministers felt the country should not be part of a blocking minority in the EU on such sensitive questions, the bioethics committee said .
"It does not express any intention by this government to modify our national legislation in the area," it stressed .
DONUM VITAE Vatican document - Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation.
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Eastern Catholic Ping List
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, head of the Vatican department dealing with family affairs, said in a magazine interview that "destroying human embryos is equivalent to an abortion... it's the same thing" .
There is a different set of rules for American politicians who vote for abortion measures, and support partial birth abortion. And who knowingly disregard the Church's teaching in those areas. They don't get excommunicated.- tom
Agreed.
Latae sentiae - they excommunicate themselves.
PING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Catholic church has allowed for decades these heretical Catholic politicians to thumb their noses at the Church.
It wasn't until recently when people like Marc Balestrieri, a Los Angeles canon lawyer, started suing these heretics in ecclesiastical court that the Church paid any attention publicly to these heretics. - tom
They get their hands shaken by incoming archbishops - and get Holy Communion from the papal legate himself!
What about liberal Catholic politicians who support this cannibalistic genocide??? Why aren't they excommunicated?
One cardinal's words in an interview do not make for an authoritative interpretation of canon law. Media misrepresentation.
Why aren't they excommunicated? >>
the politicians appropriate big $$$$$ to Catholic Charities, Schools and hospitals. They don't want to rock the boat and stop the gravy train.
And Judas sold out for thirty pieces of silver.
bump & a ping
what are you saying? that there are shadows and pnumbras in our canon law as well?
Is His Eminence in charge of the canonical courts? I assumed he wasn't. Isn't that the job of the Apostolic Penitentiary?
I still don't understand your point. And I sure hope you are not saying you think there is any leeway for this terrible sin to somehow be ok, regardless of the Cardinal's status or lack thereof to make such pronouncements
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.