Vatican bans stemcell research

Vatican Issues Instruction on Bioethics

Riccardo De Luca/Associated Press

From left, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Monsignor Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, Rev. Federico Lombardi, Monsignor Elio Sgreccia and Professor Maria Luisa Di Pietro during a press conference on bioethics at the Vatican on Friday.

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN and ELISABETTA POVOLEDO

Published: December 12, 2008

The Vatican issued its most authoritative and sweeping document on bioethical issues in more than 20 years on Friday, taking into account recent developments in biomedical technology and reinforcing the church’s opposition to in vitro fertilization, human cloning, genetic testing on embryos before implantation and embryonic stem cell research.The Vatican says these techniques violate the principles that every human life — even an embryo — is sacred, and that babies should be conceived only through intercourse by a married couple.

The 32-page instruction, titled “Dignitas Personae,” or “The Dignity of the Person,” was issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s doctrinal office, and carries the approval and the authority of Pope Benedict XVI.  more

US bishops warn Obama on abortions

Timothy Lavin 22 November 2008

The US bishops last week fired their first shot across the bows of the incoming Obama administration, warning that "the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis" would be impossible to achieve, if the administration's policies increase abortions.

In a statement on behalf of all US bishops at the end of their gathering in Baltimore, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, the bishops' conference president, said the Church looked forward to working with Mr Obama on issues including immigration reform, health care and economic justice, but said that a proposed bill,  the Freedom of Choice Act (Foca), which Mr Obama has expressed support for, was "an evil law that would further divide our country".

If the act was brought forward in the form  it was introduced in the last Congress, they said, it would outlaw any kind of interference with abortion on demand: "It would deprive the American people in all 50 states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry." more