By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
President Barack Obama’s decision to lift the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research in the U.S. has drawn swift condemnation from the Vatican and the Christian community throughout the world.
The Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano criticised the decision, saying that “recognition of personal dignity must be extended to all phases of existence.”
Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, criticized the move as a “victory of politics over ethics.” He told Italy’s ANSA news agency that
“probably some drug companies, or some economic interests” influenced the decision to reverse the restrictions on funding imposed by the Bush administration in 2001.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, pro-life committee chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) also denounced President Barack Obama’s actions.
“President Obama’s new executive order on embryonic stem cell research is a sad victory of politics over science and ethics,” Cardinal Rigali said, according to a Zenit report.
“This action is morally wrong because it encourages the destruction of innocent human life, treating vulnerable human beings as mere products to be harvested.
“It also disregards the values of millions of American taxpayers who oppose research that requires taking human life.
“Finally, it ignores the fact that ethically sound means for advancing stem cell science and medical treatments are readily available and in need of increased support. To divert scarce funds away from these promising avenues for research and treatment toward the avenue that is most morally controversial as well as most medically speculative is a sad victory of politics over science.”
Catholics were not the only Christians to voice their outrage over the action.
Southern Baptist leader Richard Land said Mr Obama had “declared open season on unborn babies.”
Mr Land warned that most experts believed the supply of embryos will soon be exhausted by federally funded research demands, and that this will increase pressure to allow embryos to be created by cloning for the sole purpose of harvesting their fetal tissue.
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