Polish Bishops, Cardinal Trujillo come under fire for overblown criticism of stem-cell research.POLAND'S BISHOPS IN JUNE voiced opposition to a European Parliament European Parliament, a branch of the governing body of the European Union (EU). It convenes on a monthly basis in Strasbourg, France; most meetings of the separate parliamentary committees are held in Brussels, Belgium, and its Secretariat is located in Luxembourg. vote to fund research on human embryonic stem cells. The bishops called on the E.U. Council and Commission to block the measure, calling instead for research on adult cells. Citing a Polish Constitutional Court decision indicating "life" must enjoy "constitutional protection in each stage of its development," they argued that the parliamentary move violated the E.U. principle of subsidiarity subsidiarity Noun the principle of taking political decisions at the lowest practical level Noun 1. subsidiarity - secondary importance subordinateness , since member countries in which the research is banned would be required to fund it via the E.U. budget. Meanwhile, scientists who work with human embryonic stem cells face excommunication excommunication, formal expulsion from a religious body, the most grave of all ecclesiastical censures. Where religious and social communities are nearly identical it is attended by social ostracism, as in the case of Baruch Spinoza, excommunicated by the Jews. , because embryos of 100 to 200 cells are destroyed in such research, Pontifical Council for the Family The Pontifical Council for the Family is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. It was established by Pope John Paul II on May 9, 1981 with the Motu Proprio Familia a Deo Instituta president Alfonso Lopez Trujillo said in late June. The research is "equivalent to abortion," the cardinal told Famiglia Cristiana Famiglia Cristiana is an Italian weekly magazine. It was founded in 1931, and is currently owned by Periodici San Paolo, a Roman Catholic publishing group. External links
The remarks sparked criticism and defiance. "If we're defending the principle that human life should not be touched, it should not be done in a punitive, castigatory CASTIGATORY, punishments. An engine used to punish women who have been convicted of being common scolds it is sometimes called the trebucket, tumbrel, ducking stool, or cucking stool. This barbarous punishment has perhaps never been inflicted in the United States. 12 S. & It. 225. or burn-in-hell way," said Italian senator and Opus Dei member Paola Binetti. Top cloning scientist Cesare Galli said he held "Catholic values" but did "not need to be told by the church what to do or to think," adding, "I can bear excommunication." (In fact, there is nothing in church teachings to suggest that excommunication is a likely result of scientific research of this type.) The U.K.-based news magazine the Tablet questioned whether the pope agreed with the cardinal: "Pope Benedict ... has shown himself much more moderate in tone.... Will Cardinal Lopez Trujillo remain untouchable untouchable Former classification of various low-status persons and those outside the Hindu caste system in Indian society. The term Dalit is now used for such people (in preference to Mohandas K. in yet another pontificate, or will Valencia be his swan song?" Lopez Trujillo also told the Catholic magazine that "speaking in defense of life and the rights of families is becoming in some societies sort of a crime against the state" and expressed concern that the church could be "brought before some international court" for opposing abortion or gay marriage, which he called "absolute emptiness." Georgetown University Law Center Also attended
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