Does The Vatican Support Stem Cell Research?
One would not expect the Catholic Church to fund stem cell research, but that is precisely what the organisation is planning on doing. The Vatican is pushing for research of adult stem cells as an alternative to embryonic stem cell use, which the Catholic Church opposes maintaining the destruction of the embryo amounts to the killing of human life. Consequently, the Catholic Church has thrown its support and resources behind the study of intestinal adult stem cells by a group of experts from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The group will explore the potential use of these cells in the treatment of intestinal and other diseases, and is seeking an initial 2 million euros (S$3.7 million) to get the project going. The Church is expected to provide financial support to help the International Intestinal Stem Cell Consortium establish and kick off its research in Rome, today. It has not had a change of heart, rather this new research aims to do away with the need for the embryo
