WASHINGTON (September 15, 2006)—Speaking at a conference in Rome
co-sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, an official of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops said today that embryonic stem cell
research continues to pose the ethical problem of destroying human
embryos, but increasingly poses the ethical problem of deceiving the
public as well.
Richard M. Doerflinger, Interim Executive Director of the U.S. bishops’
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, delivered his brief talk as part of
an international congress titled “Stem Cells: What Future for Therapy?”
taking place September 14-16 at the Augustinianum Institute, adjacent to
St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The congress, featuring researchers from
around the world who have published advances in the use of non-embryonic
stem cells, is also co-sponsored by the International Federation of
Catholic Medical Associations.
Mr. Doerflinger said the recent scandal involving Dr. Robert Lanza of
Advanced Cell Technology, who claimed he had obtained stem cells from
human embryos without harming them, is “the latest in a series of
deceptions” by those promoting embryonic stem cells.
“Many speeches, news stories, and advertisements have declared that these
cells offer a cure for Alzheimer’s disease – despite the nearly universal
scientific consensus that they do not,” he said. “One expert at the
National Institutes of Health explained this discrepancy between political
message and scientific fact by commenting: ‘To start with, people need a
fairy tale’.”
“In fact,” said Mr. Doerflinger, “we do not need a fairy tale. We need the
truth. But a fairy tale is what we are sometimes getting – not only from
politicians and entrepreneurs but from respected scientific journals. This
must change, or science itself will lose credibility.”
The full text of Mr. Doerflinger’s remarks is available at
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/RDRome91506speech.pdf