Denver, Colo., Feb 9, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Professor Ian Wilmut, best known for his cloning of the sheep, “Dolly” in 1997, has now been granted a license from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to start cloning human embryos.
According to the BBC, he and scientists from King’s College in London plan to clone early-stage human embryos for the purpose of studying motor neuron disease. Many fear however, that this is the first step toward full-blown human cloning.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver commented to CNA this morning that, “cloning human embryos is contrary to the Catholic understanding of the dignity of human beings from the moment of conception through eternity.”
Although Professor Wilmut has stressed in the past that, “his team has no intention of producing cloned babies,” he also added that the embryos the group does create, “will be destroyed after experimentation.” It is this very point that has many pro-life opponents outraged.
Archbishop Chaput noted that, “It's tragic that any country would allow for this kind of action which undermines our respect for each other.”