Trenton, N.J., May 23, 2006 / 22:00 pm
New Jersey's 15 Catholic hospitals have agreed to encourage umbilical cord and placenta blood donation to the state's two public cord blood banks for stem-cell research, reported The Associated Press.
Umbilical cords and placentas contain adult stem cells, not embryonic stem cells that the Church opposes being used for research.
"The ethical principles of our Catholic health care tradition demand that we step up to the plate and support and encourage this donation," said Fr. Joseph Kukura, president of the Catholic Health Care Partnership of New Jersey, at the time of the announcement Tuesday.
William Bolan, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference said the conference intends to tell New Jersey's 3.6 million Catholics about the initiative by providing inserts for parish bulletins and features in diocesan newspapers.