 |
 |
Pope says Catholic medics should avoid controversial research The Pope has urged Catholic doctors to abstain from stem cell and cloning research. John Paul II said health workers should become conscientious objectors rather than compromise their faith. The production of embryos for research purposes goes against the church's belief that life begins at conception. The pontiff said that until recently medical ethics and Catholic morality went hand in hand. But he added that times have now changed, saying: "The conflict between social pressure and the demands of right conscience can lead to the dilemma either of abandoning the medical profession or of compromising one's conviction. "Faced with that tension, we must remember that there is a middle path which opens up before Catholic health workers who are faithful to their conscience. It is the path of conscientious objection, which ought to be respected by all, especially legislators." The Pope was speaking to a gathering of Catholic gynaecologists and obstetricians in Vatican City. Story filed: 17:05 Monday 18th June 2001 http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_330433.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery *********** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn