Australia's Catholic Bishops Campaigning To Prevent the Lifting Stem Cell Ban
Related News: Stem Cell NewsAustralia's Catholic bishops are campaigning to prevent lifting a partial ban on human embryos being used for stem cell research. The Federal Government is set to review laws with the goal of permitting experimentation on embryos created through IVF before April 2002.
The Catholic Leader reports that 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 chairman, Archbishop Francis Carroll of Canberra and Goulburn, wrote to the minister responsible for the legislation - Julie Bishop - in December, to either have the review before April or extend the ban on the availability of embryos until after the report was received.
ACBC research director Peter McArdle told the Leader that 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 has publicly called for a national ban on embryonic stem cell research.
Senator Ron Boswell of Queensland, a Catholic and Nationals leader in the Senate, said he was working on the stem cells issue.
Posted on February 28, 2005 02:04 PM