When it comes to excommunication, embryonic stem cell researchers are on a par with abortionists. So says Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo of the Pontifical Council for the Family. This is, in fact, a no-brainer.
Since research into embryonic stem cells requires the killing of embryonic unborn children, then whatever penalties fall upon abortionists would naturally fall upon ESCR scientists. Of course, some people don’t see it that way—they don’t believe embryos are human beings—so this has to be spelled out.
More interesting, the cardinal also says that he expects that the Catholic Church will begin facing legal sanctions in various places in the world for her strong defenses of human life, family, and marriage. And he hints that he thinks this will occur in the West.
In the Western world, he charged, actions that were once recognized as crimes are now given the status of legal rights. At the same time, he continued, “even talking about the defense of life and of the family’s rights is being treated as a kind of crime.” ... “The Church risks being brought before some international court” if current political trends continue, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo said. Nevertheless he insisted that the Church will continue to defend human life.
Persecution, not praise, is to be the expectation of Christians. Christ Himself told us so. When it comes, if it the will of God, we will embrace the martyrdom with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
The white martyrdom is already starting through financial means and public verbal attacks. I pray the red martyrdom never comes.
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Somehow I doubt this magazine interview with His Eminence offers an authoritative interpretation of canon law. Has he authority to promulgate such canonical legislation?
I worry we’re embracing as authoritative a position which hasn’t gone through regular channels, and is more easily dismissed by pro-ESCR Catholics.
It’s not legislation, it’s application. He’s not promulgating new law. He’s making the obvious point that the old law for abortionists applies also to those who kill the unborn for research.
And as a prefect of a dicastery, he is regular channels.
Are the embryo’s used in stem-cell “research” fertilized eggs? I think it makes a difference. This seems like a really fine line.
JBP
“The Church risks being brought before some international court”
This would make the lifes of the “Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry” types easier to live their oversimplified and crass devotion all thing that are feel good and trendy.
You can’t get stem cells from an egg. You can only get them from an embryo.
Edward N. Peters, JD, JCD has written Excommunication for deliberate embryo destruction?