AUSTRALIA’S Catholic bishops are campaigning to prevent the lifting of a partial ban on human embryos being used for stem cell research.
The Federal Government this year will review laws permitting experimentation on embryos created through IVF before April 2002.
The sunset clause, which prevents researchers using embryos created through IVF after April 2002, expires on April 5 but a report on the review of the legislation is not due until the end of the year.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) chairman, Archbishop Francis Carroll of Canberra and Goulburn, in December wrote to the minister responsible for the legislation, Julie Bishop, to either have the review before April or extend the ban on the availability of embryos until after the report was received.
The archbishop is yet to receive a reply.
ACBC research director Peter McArdle said he and the bishops had been doing a lot of behind the scenes lobbying on the review and extending the ban.
The Federal Government has sought agreement from the Premiers and Chief Ministers to extend the ban.
Cardinal George Pell of Sydney has publicly called for a national ban on embryonic stem cell research.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on February 11 that Cardinal Pell was willing to lobby for a national ban on embryonic stem cell research.
‘If I thought it would help I would be prepared to speak,’ Cardinal Pell said. ‘We are not in favour of producing human beings to destroy them for scientific purposes.
‘We don’t believe generally the end justifies the means,’ he said. ‘I don’t believe it is appropriate to be breeding humans, however briefly, to take bits of them and destroy human life for that purpose.’
Sydney archdiocese is expected to at least double its contribution to adult stem cell research, which the Church views as an ethical and more promising alternative to research on human embryos.
Senator Ron Boswell of Queensland, a Catholic and Nationals leader in the Senate, said he was working on the stem cells issue.
‘It’s a nonsense we’re having a sunset clause in April and a review due in December. I’m trying to work my way around that.’
Sydney archdiocese’s Life Office director, Dr Bridget Vout, said the office would be lobbying on the issue and would launch an education program.
