U.S. bishops uphold life, postpone Missal translation

Orlando, Florida (CNS) -- In their first formal statement on the topic, the U.S. bishops declared that stem-cell research does not present a conflict between science and religion but called the use of human embryos in such research "gravely immoral" and unnecessary. 

The document, "On Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: A Statement of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops," was approved June 14 at the group's annual spring general meeting in Orlando.

"It now seems undeniable that once we cross the fundamental moral line that prevents us from treating any fellow human being as a mere object of research, there is no stopping point," the bishops announced. "The only moral stance that affirms the human dignity of all of us is to reject the first step down this path."

After a debate that dominated the public session, the bishops sent back a translation of prayers used in Mass for further work. They also began a confidential dialogue with priests on issues that arose during and after the clergy sexual abuse scandal.

Consistent ethic

Regarding the stem cell statement, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of the Albany Diocese told The Evangelist, "We are trying to reiterate the position of the Church.

"When you destroy embryonic human life to produce something that will alleviate disease, it is not morally acceptable," he said. "There are many benefits from adult stem cell research and that research has produced results that alleviate disease."

Given New York State's $600 million initiative to support embryonic and other stem cell research, the statement could motivate Catholics in the Albany Diocese to speak up while long-range plans for that initiative are still in development.

"I hope that, as we educate our people as to why we oppose embryonic stem cell research," Bishop Hubbard said, "they will be more active in opposing it and ensuring that public funds not be used to do something that is morally unacceptable."

Sacramentary needs work

A new 700-page translation of one section of the Roman Missal failed to obtain the votes needed to approve or reject the text. The translation of the proper prayers for Sundays and feast days during the liturgical year was commissioned by the bishops seeking an improved version and worked on for more than two years.

"We wanted a translation that would capture the essence of the original Latin and in  way that touches the minds and hearts of the congregation," said Bishop Hubbard.

He said the work involved the opening prayer, the prayer over the gifts and the prayer after Communion. It was the second of 12 sections of the Roman Missal translation project.

More than a dozen bishops criticized the proposed translation, which would eventually be used in other English-speaking nations. Bishop Donald W. Trautman of Erie, Pa., said that Catholics are entitled to "prayers that are clear and understandable."

Bishop Hubbard acknowledged the work and improvements, but said that "the text needs further revisions."

Crisis follow-up

In a private session, the bishops began a dialogue with priests on fallout from the clergy sex abuse crisis. It is designed, in effect, to rebuild relations with the nation's priests.

"Some felt guilty by association," while others felt their fellow priests who were accused of wrongdoing were not treated fairly or with pastoral concern, Bishop Gregory M. Aymond of Austin, Texas said.

Members of the bishops' Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People met June 12 with representatives of half of the nation's priests and will meet with the others in November.

In an interim report on a study of the causes and context of sexual abuse of minors by priests, researcher Karen Terry said she and her colleagues at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York have found some correlations between the frequency of child sex abuse by priests and the increase or decline in societal patterns of divorce, premarital sex and illegal drug use.

In the 1960s, for example, studies show there was a 200 percent increase in incidents of abuse by priests, as well as a 200 percent increase in the number of divorces and the number of new adult users of marijuana and a 70 percent increase in premarital sexual activity among 20-year-old women.

In the 1980s, when incidents of abuse by priests declined by 72 percent, the divorce rate was down 40 percent and there was a 60 percent decrease in premarital sexual activity and new marijuana users, Terry said.

A similar pattern also is seen in the number of resignations from the priesthood during each decade and the number of incidents of sex abuse by priests in each of those decades, she said. It remains to be seen, however, whether the various phenomena are "shaped by the same social factors," Terry said.

(Christopher D. Ringwald, editor, contributed to this story.)

(06/19/08)