Washington D.C., Apr 22, 2009 / 04:34 am
Cardinal Justin Rigali has responded to new draft guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research, warning that they allow for the use of more than just “leftover” embryos. The draft rules also divorce biomedical research from its “necessary ethical foundation,” thus enabling some human beings to use and mistreat others for their own goals, he stated.
He also warned against growing efforts to fund with federal dollars the creation and destruction of human embryos for research through in vitro fertilization and cloning methods.
“Without unconditional respect for the life of each and every member of the human race, research involving human subjects does not represent true progress. It becomes another way for some human beings to use and mistreat others for their own goals,” said Cardinal Rigali, commenting in a Tuesday statement as Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
“Suffering patients and their families deserve better, through increased support for promising and ethically sound stem cell research and treatments that harm no one.”