Pope backs Italy embryo boycott

[emad]

Pope Benedict XVI has given his backing to calls for a boycott of an Italian referendum on fertility rules.

June's referendum will ask Italians to lift restrictions on embryo research, artificial insemination, and egg and sperm donation.

The Pope did not explicitly call for a boycott of the vote, which needs a 50% turnout to remain valid.

But he told a conference of Italian bishops, which had urged a boycott: "I am close to you in word and prayer."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4593817.stm

[rodeodance]

1. this is not news in the sense-of course the Church would oppose

it!!!!!!!!!

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[still_one]

3. this is the same pope who honored bernard law

[MnFishhead]

4. I hope be boycotts a cure for disease...

...when it's found through stem-cell research. What a Neanderthal organization.

[kskiska]

5. I hope he bans in vitro fertilization

Let's see how the "cafeteria Catholics" take that. Of course, birth control is banned already, but the "good Catholics" in the U.S. have paid scant attention. They're too hung up on which politicians are fit to receive communion.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Boycotting, rather than voting against

It sounds like he thinks he'd lose the vote - so he's trying to render it invalid, by adding his obedient Catholics to the don't knows/apathetic people. That shows that his view is a distinct minority.

Boycotting elections may be a valid tactic for opposition parties in corrupt states. In democracies, it's a sign your view is too unpopular to stand a chance of winning.

[IndianaGreen]

7. CNN: Pope enters Italy fertility fray

Since most churches in Italy suffer from empty pews, I expect the Italian people to ignore Ratzinger's pleas.

Pope enters Italy fertility fray

The German-born pope contended that a referendum next month to scrap parts of a law that regulates assisted fertility treatments posed threats to life and the family.

<snip>

The current law forbids sperm and egg donation, limits the number of embryos created with in vitro techniques to three and bans all embryo research.

The referendums would abrogate the law's provisions on embryo research, the three-embryo limit, the ban on egg or sperm donation from outside the couple and the attribution of rights to the unborn.

Opponents complain the law restricts scientific research and a woman's reproductive rights.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/30/pope.fertility.ap/index.html

[Karenina]

8. That has to be

one of the FUNNIEST subject lines I've ever read!!! :rofl:

[question everything]

9. As Earl Butz said

them that don't play the game don't make the rules... (or something like that)