Oct 18, 2004 / 22:00 pm
A Catholic priest and director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Boston attended the seventh annual BioFlorida conference last weekend, with the intention of debunking myths about the Catholic Church’s position on stem-cell research, reported the Palm Beach Post.
Stem-cell research is a controversial issue that has gotten a lot of media attention, especially in this current presidential campaign. The most controversial source of stem cells is embryos. However, stem cells can also be harvested from adult human tissue, umbilical cords, placentas, amniotic fluid, fat from liposuction and cadavers.
It’s true that the Catholic Church does not support embryonic stem-cell research, which necessitates the killing of an embryo, says Fr. Tad Pacholczyk. However, the Church does not oppose all stem-cell research. It depends where the stem cells come from, he said.
If the stem cells come from adult humans, miscarried fetuses and umbilical cords, the Church is not opposed, explained Fr. Pacholczyk. If the stem cells come from an aborted fetus, it opposes their use as it does abortion.
Currently, the federal government does not finance embryonic stem-cell research.