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Georgetown U Frankenstein Research
LifeSite Daily News ^ | 01/30/04 | www.lifesite.net

Posted on 01/30/2004 9:54:51 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity

LifeSite Daily News
Friday January 30, 2004

Catholic University Continuing to Use Cell Lines from Aborted Babies - Cardinal Approves

WASHINGTON, DC, January 30, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - When LifeSiteNews.com first broke the story "Washington Cardinal Ends Catholic University's Use of Aborted Fetal Cell Lines" last month (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/040 10601.html ), it was based on factual evidence. Children of God for Life, a pro-life group specializing in fighting the use of aborted fetal cell lines in vaccines, contacted the Cardinal McCarrick about Georgetown University - a Catholic University - using aborted fetal cell lines in research. The Cardinal responded with a letter to Children of God for Life Director Debra Vinnedge saying the "problem" had "been resolved".

However, it turns out that Georgetown has decided to allow its researchers to continue to use aborted fetal cell lines and that the Cardinal, at least according to his spokesman, is just fine with that. Of the eighteen researchers at Georgetown involved in the unethical research, fourteen will continue with it while four have switched over to stem cell lines which did not originate from aborted babies. Vinnedge told LifeSiteNews.com in an interview today, "I'm appalled that they would continue to do this research."

It seems that the Cardinal is relying on the opinions of certain Catholic ethicists who believe that the use of cell lines from aborted babies for research is acceptable at a Catholic institution, which is supposed to regard abortion as murder. Rev. Kevin T. FitzGerald, a university bioethicist told the Washington Post that the scientists at the university did not know they were using cells from aborted babies at first and that were they to stop now they would endanger their grants, and perhaps their potentially beneficial research. He also excused the research saying the abortions committed were not performed for the purpose of providing the cells.

FitzGerald, a Jesuit priest who holds a doctorate in molecular genetics, also said future research using aborted fetal cells at the Catholic university would be possible but such research would be screened. "We have to pull in the administrators at the university to say what sorts of things we can put in place as far as a screening process," he said. "We have to figure out who does it, where does the screening take place, how is it structured, who decides. I don't know what we're going to be able to do or not do. This is new ground."

Another Catholic ethicist, John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Boston, agreed with Georgetown's stand. "I don't see the moral difficulty in using these cell lines, because you're not contributing in any way to the abortions, which took place decades ago," Haas said.

Vinnedge wondered whether the Catholic university would similarly agree to using a cache of body parts of Nazi holocaust victims for research. "Just as with the aborted fetal stem cell lines, the body parts would have come from victims of murders that happened decades ago," she said. "I don't think Fr. Fitzgerald or Dr. Haas would so easily allow for research on body parts of Nazi holocaust victims despite the possible loss of grant money, and they'd likely insist on switching to other sources even if researchers didn't realize at first where the body parts came from."

LifeSiteNews.com spoke with Susan Gibbs, Director of Communications at the Archdiocese of Washington, who confirmed that "the cardinal is comfortable with the university's response to the situation." Gibbs noted the arguments of the ethicists about the cell lines coming from abortions that were committed in Europe and in some cases up to 40 years ago. When LifeSiteNews.com asked Gibbs about the apt comparison to the use of body parts from Nazi holocaust victims she responded, " I'm not going to be pulled into a hypothetical." She referred to the ethicists who reviewed the research as having "very fine reputations" and repeatedly said "I'm not an ethicist."

Vinnedge told LifeSiteNews.com she intends to continue to ask Cardinal McCarrick to demand that the Catholic university stop the unethical research.

Cardinal McCarrick may be contacted at

Office of the Archbishop
Archdiocesan Pastoral Center
5001 Eastern Avenue
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782-3447
301-853-4500
chancery@adw.org

See the Washington Post coverage: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/art icles/A61643-2004Jan29.html

(c) Copyright: LifeSite Daily News is a production of Interim Publishing. Permission to republish is granted (with limitation*) but acknowledgement of source is *REQUIRED* (use LifeSiteNews.com).

NEWS TIPS to lsn@lifesite.net or call 1-866-787-9947 or (416) 204-1687 ext. 444

 


TOPICS: Activism; Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics; Religion & Science; Theology
KEYWORDS: abortion; catholicchurch; culturewars; frankenscience; prolife; religion

1 posted on 01/30/2004 9:54:52 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Land of the Irish; narses; NYer; american colleen; Barnacle; Coleus; cpforlife.org
Controversy continues at GU.
2 posted on 01/30/2004 9:56:24 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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Related thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1068614/posts
3 posted on 01/30/2004 9:59:52 PM PST by cpforlife.org (The defense and promotion of LIFE is not the ministry of a few but the responsibility of ALL.)
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To: Coleus; NYer
Good point, Coleus. Yes, Clinton was the first GU Frankenstein monster of note. Trying to figure out how he managed to graduate... Apparently he boasts of having studied under the famous History guru Carroll Quigley which seems rather odd in itself... I can't picture Clinton reading Plato.

One thing about Jesuit colleges...We never should have dropped the Latin and Mass atendance requirements!!! We could have saved the US eight years of silliness. Still can't picture Clinton passing a philosophy course at a Catholic college. Just try to imagine Slick Willy reading Thomas Aquinas. Duh...

4 posted on 01/30/2004 10:18:15 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity; american colleen; sinkspur; Lady In Blue; Salvation; ...
Is GU still considered 'catholic'? Someone posted a list not long ago of 'catholic colleges' that are no longer catholic.

Regardless, GU has always been associated with the Catholic Church. We already know where they stand on 'traditional' catholic values.

Cardinal Arinze's pro-life, pro-family comments anger Georgetown faculty members, spark protest

5 posted on 01/30/2004 10:39:45 PM PST by NYer ("One person and God make an army." - St. Teresa of Avila)
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To: Aestus Veritatis
Just added your name to the list. You get a personal ping!
6 posted on 01/30/2004 10:47:22 PM PST by NYer ("One person and God make an army." - St. Teresa of Avila)
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To: NYer
Technically, it is supposed to be "Catholic." Um...ahem...the faculty was infiltrated by liberals, secularists, and a variety of anti-Catholic kooks some time ago. There are still a few Catholics left (like Rev. James Schall, SJ).

GU was sort of Kennedy-ized in the late '60s and '70s (i.e., emasculated in terms of most Catholic points that really matter). Last time I spent much time on campus there were kids (students) who didn't know what a Jesuit was, had never heard of St. Ignatius Loyola, and were shocked when they found out they had enrolled at a Catholic college (true story).

7 posted on 01/30/2004 10:49:08 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: NYer
The Georgetown Academy (conservative magazine)
8 posted on 01/30/2004 11:00:38 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: NYer; cpforlife.org; Coleus; Salvation; CAtholic Family Association
The Georgetown Academy (http://www.georgetownacademy.com/links.html) is published monthly during the acadmic school year, but maintains independence from University funding and control. The Georgetown Academy is a non-partisan, apolitical publication that stands for a depoliticized curriculum and campus culture, student liberty and administrative downsizing, and a defense of Georgetown's Catholic identity and lesser traditions.

Send subscriptions requests, manuscripts, and letters to the editor to

The Georgetown Academy
3220 N St., NW
PMB 196
Washington, DC 20007

or email:

editors@georgetownacademy.com

9 posted on 01/30/2004 11:07:33 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: cpforlife.org; NYer; Dajjal; ninenot; Loyalist; narses; Land of the Irish; Barnacle; Maximilian
If an update on the status of this gets posted, feel free to ping. It should not be allowed to continue. Will any notable orthodox Catholic authority or official publication speak on this? Or politicians who are pro-life?
10 posted on 01/31/2004 11:36:53 AM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
We must remain true to the teachings of the Church on life!
11 posted on 01/31/2004 12:40:56 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
We must remain true to the teachings of the Church on life! 11 posted on 01/31/2004 12:40:56 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Absolutely. There is no reason for a Catholic university to be involved with this.

12 posted on 01/31/2004 10:16:00 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
Btt
13 posted on 02/01/2004 3:45:24 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Mr. Silverback
ProLife Ping! If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail. 5 posted on 01/28/2004 10:09:41 AM PST by Mr. Silverback (Pre-empt the third murder attempt-- Pray for Terry Schiavo!)

You can dd us to the pro-life list. This story is unbelievable. Please spread the word.

14 posted on 02/01/2004 4:07:33 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: NYer; cpforlife.org; Salvation
If anyone can format a petition into text in protest of this, I will place a copy of it in the Georgetown chapel on campus.
15 posted on 02/01/2004 4:11:39 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Maximilian; cpforlife.org
Meanwhile...
16 posted on 02/02/2004 9:18:01 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: cpforlife.org
Btt
17 posted on 02/03/2004 8:29:22 AM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: PFKEY
This would have been unimaginable before Vatican II.
For one thing, before Vatican II abortion was still illegal
and considered a serious crime.
18 posted on 02/03/2004 9:30:59 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: JudgemAll
Related thread.
19 posted on 02/04/2004 6:00:31 AM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: ninenot

Here: Take a look...


20 posted on 08/04/2004 1:13:39 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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