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Stem Cell News
Massive Internal Stem Cell Education Program
Launched
Michigan Catholic Conference, October 1, 2007
A monumental statewide education program that
includes over 500,000 Catholic homes and nearly 800
parishes has been launched by the state's diocesan
bishops in Michigan. The Michigan Catholic
Conference's efforts are directed at communicating the
Church's teaching on human life as it relates to adult
and embryonic stem cell research.
Paul A. Long, who is the Conference's Vice
President for Public Policy, said that the central
messages of the internal education program focuses on
the church's support for adult stem cell research. And
their opposition towards embryonic stem cell research
is based on the fact it compromises their message.
"Medical science, along with people from
different faith and political backgrounds, has
recognized that human cloning and the destruction of
living embryos for research purposes may not be the
most promising way to move forward with stem cell
research. Yet because of the great deal of attention
given to unproven embryo destructive research, partly
through misinformation and even deceit, necessary
funding for and the promotion of adult stem cell
research have been nearly non-existent. Many people
are unaware that adult stem cells are located
throughout the human body and are providing
treatments, even cures, without harming the donor
person," said Long.
Every registered Catholic home in the state has
been sent a 12-minute DVD and a brochure that all
emphasize the Church's support for adult stem cell
research along with a letter signed jointly by the
state's diocesan bishops. The materials align with the
Conference's internal education program which has been
themed, “The Science of Stem Cells: Finding Cures
and Protecting Life.”
According to the bishops' letter:
"Catholics have the right and duty to assist
all who are suffering, and medical science, through
adult stem cell research and its proven track record
of success, has opened a door of hope. We urge you and
your family to spend a few moments reviewing the
enclosed material and learning more about the ways by
which we can find cures and protect life."
On Respect Life Sunday, which is October 7th, every
parish in the state has been encouraged by its
diocesan bishop to address the issue of stem cell
research. Sample bulletin announcements, a question
and answer document, in addition to the aforementioned
brochure and DVD have been distributed to each parish
courtesy of the Conference. Also distributed to
parishes across the state, were the Conference's FOCUS
essay. Approximately 250,000 copies of the document
which addresses the public policy of stem cell
research have been distributed.
Educational materials have also been distributed to
fraternal organizations, charity agencies, schools,
universities, and Catholic hospitals.
Patients who have made significant advances
following adult stem cell therapies while defying
their medical diagnoses testify to the power of adult
stem cell therapy on the DVD that is included with the
mailing to Catholic homes.
The DVD features two prominent scientists urging
public support for adult stem cell research, includes
an interview with a nurse and bioethicist who
addresses the effects of egg extraction and human
cloning on women, and dissects the scientific
differences between adult and embryonic stem cell
research.
Conditions such as sickle cell anemia, Parkinson's
disease, lymphoma, numerous forms of cancer, Type-1
diabetes and many other conditions are currently being
treated thanks to adult stem cell research. The list
of conditions numbers over 70.
A full list of conditions which benefit from adult
stem cell research can be found at
StemCellResearch.org
Since adult stem cells are derived from various
locations throughout the human body such as, dental
pulp, bone marrow, fat tissues, amniotic fluid, and
umbilical cord blood, there is no harm to the donor
when adult stem cell research is conducted.
In order to extract its stem cells, the destruction
of human embryos is necessary to conduct embryonic
stem cell research. This is the reason the Catholic
Church is opposed to the science. Embryonic stem cell
research also involves cloning in some cases. However,
most important to those interested in stem cell
research should be the fact that embryonic stem cell
research has never produced a single treatment or
cure.
Michigan's Catholic diocesan bishops are: His
Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit;
Most Reverend Patrick R. Cooney, Bishop of Gaylord;
Most Reverend Walter A. Hurley, Bishop of Grand
Rapids; Most Reverend James A. Murray, Bishop of
Kalamazoo; Most Reverend Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop of
Lansing; Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample, Bishop of
Marquette; and Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Bishop
of Saginaw.
Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public
policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.
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