K CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONDEMN CLONING HUMAN EMBRYOS FOR RESEARCH

LONDON, Nov 16 (LSN.ca) - The Catholic bishops of England and Wales issued a

statement yesterday condemning plans to allow research on cloned human

embryos as "both immoral and unnecessary." The release said, "It is immoral

because it involves the deliberate creation and destruction of new human

lives for the sole purpose of extracting stem cells for research. It strips

an individual human life, in its earliest form, of all dignity, reducing it

to no more than a commodity, a supply of disposable organic matter. It is

also unnecessary because other avenues of stem cell research exist which may

offer the same potential benefits without the ethical difficulties."

The bishops welcomed legislation banning "reproductive" cloning and urged

"Members of Parliament to exercise their free vote to rule out the creation

and destruction of cloned embryonic human lives as well."

See the Bishops statement at:

http://www.tasc.ac.uk/cc/CN/00/001115a.htm

(with files from the Society of Protection of Unborn Children)