The debate going on in Europe on stem cells derived from the human embryo demonstrates, once again, that questions of this magnitude cannot be “solved” with “the reduction of the human embryo to the status of a means”, declare the French bishops in a statement issued on 31 July on the report “Stem cells and ethical choices”, currently being examined by the French government. Many parts of the report – say the bishops – “cannot but arouse the deep anxiety of those that have at heart the integral dignity of the human person”. In this perspective, emphasises the French Bishops’ Conference, “it is not any advance to pass from a regime admitting exceptions to one authorizing research on the embryo”, to cite proposition n° 4 in the report, nor is it sufficient to abolish the adjective “therapeutic”, in speaking of “somatic nuclear transfer”, rather than “therapeutic cloning”, as is the case in proposition n° 7. According to the French bishops, moreover, it is “no cause for rejoicing that the report should propose a more favourable attitude to research on adult stem cells”, as it does in proposition n° 3, if all that is promised to it, in terms of “therapeutic applications”, is “an investment equal to that on embryonal stem cells”. The bishops therefore hope that “the ingenuity of scientists may find ways of medical progress” not through the reduction of the embryo to a mere “means” for research, but “in the stricter respect for human dignity”.
