Possible excommunication of scientists by Vatican (Earth, evolve, churches, abortion)

[maggie2]

ROME, June 30 — Scientists who engage in stem cell research using human embryos should be subject to excommunication from the Catholic Church, according to a senior Vatican official.


Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who heads the group that proposes family-related policy for the Church, said in an interview with the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana published on Thursday that stem cell researchers should be punished in the same way as women who have abortions and doctors who perform them.
"Destroying an embryo is equivalent to abortion," said the cardinal. "Excommunication is valid for the women, the doctors and researchers who destroy embryos."
It was unclear if the pope supported the position, and the Vatican did not return calls for comment. But such blunt remarks from a powerful cardinal just a week before the Church convenes a huge meeting to discuss the topic could foreshadow a hardening of Vatican policy on the issue, experts said.

Rest of the story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/30/wo...rtner=homepage

What do you think?

[Victor]

Originally Posted by maggie2

ROME, June 30 — Scientists who engage in stem cell research using human embryos should be subject to excommunication from the Catholic Church, according to a senior Vatican official.


Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who heads the group that proposes family-related policy for the Church, said in an interview with the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana published on Thursday that stem cell researchers should be punished in the same way as women who have abortions and doctors who perform them.
"Destroying an embryo is equivalent to abortion," said the cardinal. "Excommunication is valid for the women, the doctors and researchers who destroy embryos."
It was unclear if the pope supported the position, and the Vatican did not return calls for comment. But such blunt remarks from a powerful cardinal just a week before the Church convenes a huge meeting to discuss the topic could foreshadow a hardening of Vatican policy on the issue, experts said.

Rest of the story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/30/wo...rtner=homepage

What do you think?

New York Times eh?
It would be extremely helpful if the New York Times provided the document that was presented by the PAS for Bishop review.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdscien/

Until then, I will assume it merely news.

[royol]

And they should consider themselves lucky, not so long ago they could have been killed for going against the church.

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by royol

And they should consider themselves lucky, not so long ago they could have been killed for going against the church.

Could you please qualify that rather than posting it as an inflammatory statement.

When was the last time the catholic church killed a scientist, and why?

[royol]

Originally Posted by ChrisP

Could you please qualify that rather than posting it as an inflammatory statement.

When was the last time the catholic church killed a scientist, and why?

I think it was called the 'Inquisition'
There were four major movements, starting with the Medieval Inquisition in 1184 and ending with the Spanish Inquisition in 1834.

[ChrisP]

Right, and where in those times were people killed for advocating science? From what I understand most of those people were imprisoned or killed for political reasons, not for studying things.

Please relate your comments to this topic, because otherwise we'll have to move into another thread. Derailing this one does a disservice to the OP.

I'm sure this has been debated previously, maybe we could go take a look through some other threads.

[royol]

Had they said the Earth revolved around the Sun, I think they just might have been killed.
They could not have people spreading things like that, it was against the churches teachings

[ChrisP]

From the article :

Originally Posted by NY Times

ardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who heads the group that proposes family-related policy for the Church, said in an interview with the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana published on Thursday that stem cell researchers should be punished in the same way as women who have abortions and doctors who perform them. "Destroying an embryo is equivalent to abortion," said the cardinal. "Excommunication is valid for the women, the doctors and researchers who destroy embryos."
It was unclear if the pope supported the position, and the Vatican did not return calls for comment. But such blunt remarks from a powerful cardinal just a week before the Church convenes a huge meeting to discuss the topic could foreshadow a hardening of Vatican policy on the issue, experts said.

So, I guess we shall see.

[Simon Gnosis]

Been there...boring.

I was bought up a Roman Catholic and then I got myself excommunicated 10 years ago for saying publically 1 Jesus could not be God and 2 that the Pope and his bishops do not have any divine authority over man.

My grandfather (a scientist) was also excommunicated (and imprisoned)..not for heresy though..for communism.

The catholic church doesnt deserve any scientists in its congregations.
They have too much to answer for.
I am strongly opposed to the RC church.

Duh...obviously.

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by royol

Had they said the Earth revolved around the Sun, I think they just might have been killed.
They could not have people spreading things like that, it was against the churches teachings

At the risk of sounding like Jayhawker, at the moment your repeating yourself please provide anything that shows this happened. Saying something doesn't make it true.

I understand you've linked me to some basic sites on the inquistion, and to be frank I'm no fan of old school Catholicism, but I've seen nothing anywhere to back up your claims, or to relate them in any way to this possible change in Vatican policy.