South Korea Catholic Church offers $10 Million for Adult Stem Cell Research

SEOUL, October 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic Church in South Korea announced that it would fund adult stem cell research with its own funds. The Archdiocese of Seoul said it would provide 10 billion won (US$9.6 million), with most of the money coming straight from diocesan coffers.

Bishop Yeom Su-jeong, head of the funding committee said, “We plan to devote ourselves to saving human dignity above everything else ... and raise awareness of respecting lives.”

Contrary to the claims of much of the secular media, the Catholic Church does not oppose stem cell research. In Australia, the Archdiocese of Sydney contributed $100,000 to support research that led to a major breakthrough in adult stem cells.

The Catholic Church of Korea also plans to award an annual 300 million won grant to a scientist working in adult stem cell research. The bishop said in a statement, “We established the committee to encourage and support adult stem cell research which can help patients with incurable diseases essentially in line with the Catholic creeds.”

“Keeping and saving lives ... is the mission of the times that our church must accomplish in the face of whatever difficulties,” Bishop Yeom said.

The rest