LIFE DIGEST: Protect life, pope tells Pelosi
- Feb 23, 2009 - 1 -
Pope Benedict XVI delivered a pro-life message to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi when she visited the Vatican Feb. 18.
The meeting illustrated the divide that exists between the Roman Catholic Church, which champions the sanctity of human life in its teachings, and many American politicians who support abortion rights despite being Catholics. Pelosi has consistently supported abortion rights during her 22-year career as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.
Also in this edition: Fetal stem cells likely cause tumors in patient, doctors say and Palin: Campaign by pro-choice foes doesn’t change her views
After the meeting, the Vatican released a brief statement, which included:
“His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.”
In a statement released by her office, Pelosi did not comment on the pope’s admonition for her to protect human life “from conception to natural death.” She said:
“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today.
“In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.
“I was proud to show his Holiness a photograph of my family’s Papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren.”
The pope and the speaker met for about 15 minutes after his weekly public audience, according to the Associated Press. Pelosi and other members of Congress were traveling overseas during the Presidents Day recess.
Fetal stem cells likely cause tumors in patient, doctors say
A tragic, Feb. 17 report demonstrated again the dangerous instability of stem cells taken from unborn children.
Israeli doctors reported a boy with a rare, genetic brain disease developed tumors in his brain and spinal cord after receiving experimental injections of fetal stem cells, according to a British Broadcasting Corp. report based on an article in PLoS Medicine.
The tumors, which were non-cancerous, were discovered in 2005, four years after the Israeli child received the stem cells at a Moscow hospital. Israeli doctors were able to remove the tumor from his spine a year later and determined it probably was caused by the fetal cells, according to the report. The patient is now 17.
Fetal stem cells, which have aborted babies as their primary source, are more developed than embryonic stem cells. The news from Israel, however, may show they share a problem that afflicts embryonic stem cells, which are taken from only days-old embryos. The development of tumors in lab animals has plagued embryonic stem cell research (ESCR).
“The risks of [tumor] formation in association with embryonic stem cells are widely acknowledged and one reason why there are very serious concerns about the proposed use of such cells in treating spinal cord injury in the U.S.,” said Josephine Quintaville, spokeswoman for the pro-life Comment on Reproductive Ethics.
“It would appear from the report that [fetal] stem cells are similarly unstable,” she said, the BBC reported. “These are not areas of therapy we should be rushing into, whatever the ethical debates surrounding the use of embryo or [fetal] tissue per se.”
Under a 2001 policy established by President Bush, the U.S. government does not fund ESCR. President Obama, however, has pledged to overturn the policy.
The extraction of stem cells from an embryo destroys the tiny human being.
Research with non-embryonic stem cells does not harm the donor and has provided treatments for more than 73 diseases in human trials, according to Do No Harm,
Stem cells are the body’s master cells that can develop into other cells and tissues, providing hope for the development of cures for a variety of diseases and other ailments.
Palin: Campaign by pro-choice foes doesn’t change her views
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says an abortion-rights, fund-raising campaign in her honor may be “great theater,” but it does not nothing to diminish her pro-life convictions.
After Republican Sen. John McCain named the governor as his vice presidential running mate in August, an email effort seeking donations to Planned Parenthood “in honor of Sarah Palin” spread. Pro-choice advocates expressed strong opposition to Palin’s candidacy because of her opposition to abortion. The fund-raising effort resulted in more than $1 million in donations to the country’s leading abortion provider, a Planned Parenthood official told the Anchorage Daily News.
“I have boxes of thank-you notes from people associated with Planned Parenthood thanking me for the donations,” she said at a Feb. 11 news conference, according to the Daily News. “It’s political theater – it’s great theater I guess for some.”
In a written statement released later, Palin said, “Making donations to Planned Parenthood in my name might be interesting theater in these politically charged times, but it is not going to change my views or the views of many other Alaskans who believe every life is precious.”
Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s affiliates performed nearly 290,000 abortions in 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available.
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission works to protect the sanctity of human life. If you would like to learn more about this issue, additional resources are available here. If your church is interested in purchasing bulletin inserts or other materials on the sanctity of human life, please visit our online bookstore and erlc.com.
Further Learning
Learn more about: Life, Abortion, Stem-Cell Research
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comments
1 On Feb 24th, 2009, at 3:04pm, Karen Anderson wrote:
Governor Palin’s pro-life stand was one of the main reasons I supported her and Sen. McCain during the election. Maybe to help offset some of the blatant critism from the opposition, pro-lifers could contribute to pro-life causes such as Focus on the Family’s ultrasound machine program or to support a local pregnancy support center. I applaud Gov. Palin for taking a godly stand in a society that is becoming more and more hostile to family values. Her reward is yet to come. Our grandson was born out of wedlock and could have been aborted, but thank God he is here today and one of the best gifts from God in our lives.