OTTAWA, MARCH 10, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of a letter from the Canadian bishops´ conference to Federal Health Minister Anne McLellan on the recent decision to allow research on human embryos.
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Re: Final Report of the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research on Stem Cell Research
Dear Ms. McLellan:
In the name of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), I would like to express my profound disappointment with the recent report of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) on Stem Cell Research that allows public funding of research on embryos who remain after fertility treatments.
The CCCB collaborates with the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), which includes a multi-disciplinary group of lay people with backgrounds in science, health, ethics, theology, law, business and education. COLF commented on the CIHR draft report last May, and both the CCCB and COLF participated in the hearings of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health on the draft legislation on Assisted Human Reproduction.
Our position on embryonic stem cell research is the following: human embryos are human beings with dignity who must be respected as human subjects and not treated as research objects. This position is based on both reason and faith and supported by a broad range of scientific and ethical opinion. The potential of embryonic stem therapy for healing degenerative diseases cannot outweigh the reality that a human embryo dies in the process.
The purpose of this letter is not to reiterate the many arguments against embryonic stem cell research that have been made by us and others in different forums but to underline the troubling aspects of the release of this report at this time and the way it circumvented the issue of the moral status of the human embryo.
1) The Role of Parliament
As you know, your predecessor asked the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health to review and consult with Canadians on draft legislation concerning assisted human reproduction. This process enabled the views of Canadians to be expressed in a public forum and a variety of perspectives to be heard. Members of the CIHR Working Group also had an opportunity to make representations to this Committee.
President
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
