London, England, Mar 6, 2008 / 23:20 pm
Catholic Ministers of Parliament could revolt against Labor Party leader Prime Minister Gordon Brown over a bill on embryo fertilization and research, the Telegraph reports.
The Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill will allow the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos containing both human and animal DNA and will loosen restrictions on in-vitro fertilization treatments for single women and homosexual couples.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, Defense Secretary Des Browne and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy are devout Catholics, who have threatened to resist the bill because of ethical and religious objections. The Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has criticized the bill and has called for “flexibility” in parliamentary deliberations.
Prime Minister Brown had considered permitting a free vote on the bill, which otherwise must be supported by all party members. Brown decided such a move would anger other MPs who had previously stayed loyal to the government.
The opposition of such high-ranking Cabinet members has renewed the controversy. A possible option is to allow Catholic legislators to abstain from the vote, though some Catholics have pressed for the liberty to vote against the bill or amend it to remove some measures.