CARDINAL George Pell of Sydney celebrated his 66th birthday on June 8, but the past fortnight has been anything but a party for the leader of the Sydney archdiocese.
Cardinal Pell angered Catholic politicians when he warned that any who voted in favour of the NSW cloning legislation would face consequences in their life in the Church.
The cardinal said all members of parliament should reject the cloning of human embryos for experimentation and destruction.
“No Catholic politician, indeed no Christian or person with respect for human life who has properly informed his conscience about the facts and ethics in this area should vote in favour of this immoral legislation,” he said in a statement.
“If this bill is passed, the enemies of human life will soon be back with further proposals, disguised with sweet words and promises of cures, to roll back the few remaining barriers to the regular destruction of early human life.”
NSW premier Morris Iemma, a “practicing” Catholic, introduced the bill.
In a rare conscience vote, NSW’s lower house the Legislative Assembly passed the bill allowing stem cell research, also known as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, by 65 votes to 26 on June 7.
The legislation mirrors that passed by the Commonwealth in December last year and is similar to a bill passed by Victoria’s parliament in May.
Cardinal Pell reaffirmed the Church’s support of adult stem cell research during the debate, which to date is the only stem cell research to have produced any results.
In a response to the vote, Cardinal Pell said politicians who “trumpet their Catholicity” but rejected the Church’s teaching should “think twice before next receiving communion”.
