Bishops' Schedules: Bishop Robert C. Morlino Saturday, March 12, 2005 5:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Cross Plains Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison 4:00 p.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, St. Dennis Parish, Madison Tuesday, March 15, 2005 11:00 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at Celebration of the Eucharist, Madison Catholic Woman's Club Recognition of Priests and Religious in the Diocese of Madison, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Madison Bishop William H. Bullock Sunday, March 13, 2005 11:30 a.m. -- Preside and Preach at the Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, Immaculate Conception Parish, Kieler, and Holy Ghost Parish, Dickeyville, at Immaculate Conception Parish, Kieler

Stem cell research: Doing evil can never achieve good

		Under the Gospel Book + Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Dear Friends,

Before I move into today's topic, please put up with me as I seek to remind you once again, in the Lord, to set aside the precious gift of time which will be your Holy Week Lenten offering. Please note once again the times of the liturgical services and devotions in your parish church or our Cathedral, and please plan in advance so that you can be on hand, especially for the great Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night - this celebration is the single most important celebration in the Church year, and it is less than three weeks away!

"It seems that many in our society have been given the impression that while embryonic stem cells are very promising for the treatment of injury or disease, adult stem cells do not in fact have such promise. In fact the opposite is true . . . research in adult stem cells reveals a greater flexibility in certain adult stem cells than might have been previously proposed."

Pray to overcome evil

An ancient prayer for the Lenten season begs for us the grace "to be victorious over evil in our lives." A few thoughts might be in order as this time of warfare against evil, which is Lent, draws nearer to its close, though clearly the warfare against evil must go on, and our Lenten schedule of intense "practice sessions" should make us stronger for that battle.

Jesus, in speaking about the devil in Scripture, tells us that a kingdom or house divided against itself cannot stand. We often apply this teaching about a divided house to the Church, indicating that we are weaker in carrying out our mission under God's Grace for the salvation of the world when we are fraught by internal disagreements, divisions, and dissent.

But in fact Jesus, in speaking of the kingdom or house divided against itself, was speaking of the devil's kingdom, He was speaking of evil. And His point was that Satan, with superhuman intelligence, can never operate in such wise as to bring about real good - of course he does act so as to bring about the false appearance of good all the time, because as we know from the Scriptures, Satan is a liar and the father of lies. But genuine evil can never bring about true good. Evil begets only evil and tends toward destruction, even self-destruction, rather than any sort of healing.

Embryonic stem cell research

It is good in this context for us to begin a consideration of embryonic stem cell research and therapy. Father Ted Pacholczyk, a priest and neuroscientist with a doctorate from Yale, describes a stem cell as an especially 'blank' cell capable of becoming another more differentiated cell type in the body such as a skin cell, a muscle cell, or a nerve cell. Father Ted goes on to tell us that stem cells are therefore very important because they can be used to replace or heal damaged tissues and cells in the body. Stem cells can be taken from adults or from embryos. Father Ted makes clear that the removal of embryonic stem cells "invariably results in the destruction of the embryo." It is possible to obtain adult stem cells from umbilical cords, placentas, and embryonic fluid. Stem cells are present as well in adults in various tissues and organ systems, including the bone marrow, the liver, epidermis, retina, skeletal muscle, intestine, brain, dental pulp, and elsewhere. Father Pacholczyktells us that even fat obtained from liposuction has been shown to contain significant numbers of adult type stem cells. Stem cells have also been removed from "specific areas in post mortem human brains as late as 20 hours following death."

Related article: • Eye on the Capitol: Sacrificing embryos to economics: Further reduces value of prenatal life

While embryonic stem cells appear to have the potential to make any cell, not one disease or injury in human beings has been treated using embryonic stem cells. The problems with doing so are complex. Many diseases or injuries occurring in human beings have been treated using adult stem cells including spinal cord injury, leukemia, and Parkinson's disease to name only a few.

It seems that many in our society have been given the impression that while embryonic stem cells are very promising for the treatment of injury or disease, adult stem cells do not in fact have such promise. In fact the opposite is true. And while some adult stem cells do not have the flexibility for development that certain embryonic stem cells certainly do have, research in adult stem cells reveals a greater flexibility in certain adult stem cells than might have been previously proposed.

Cannot do evil to achieve good

When the human embryo is destroyed to obtain stem cells for research - remember at this time no human disease is treatable in fact by embryonic stem cells - this is a classic example of doing evil that is, destroying the human embryo, in order that good may come of it in terms of a possible treatment or cure of disease or injury in human beings someday. Adult stem cells have been effectively used already to treat human disease and injury, and the use of adult stem cells does not involve the destruction of a living human being. Embryonic stem cell research requires such destruction.

As Father Ted Pacholczyk likes to say, "You and I were both embryos once upon a time." That tiny humble embryonic life that you and I once lived was and is without doubt a human life. To destroy it in the hope of curing some disease or injury is doing evil that good may come of it. But evil never begets true good, only at best the appearance of good.

The large-scale destruction (or any destruction whatever) of human embryos, that is human beings, for research purposes can never be justified because every life is sacred from conception to natural death. Every embryonic human life is sacred and is in fact a human life for whom Jesus Christ gave His life. The human embryo grows very quickly; it is blossoming with life. The human embryo in itself reveals the opposite of the death dealing destruction to which it is sentenced in order to obtain stem cells for what seems a good purpose. The societal sickness which supports such destruction cannot produce the healing which it rejects for itself.

Defend embryonic human beings

The benefits of adult stem cell research and therapy have proven most promising. Why the massive destruction of those tiny, humble, defenseless embryonic human beings? And what does such destruction say about a society that gives this embryonic human being blossoming with life no prospect other than death? Our Lenten mission to be victorious over sin and evil in our lives includes the defense of our brother and sister embryonic human beings whose level of existence we once very much lived ourselves.

Thank you for reading this. And may the Lord continue to bless your Lenten journey, along with your family and your loved ones. Praised be Jesus Christ!