The Head of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines gives a reminder to those who are taking the ice bucket challenge. In which CPCP President Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the the research for ALS involves the use of stem cells.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis. It attacks the nerve cell and pathways in the brain and spinal cord.
According to him, ALS is a degenerative disorder and through the use of stem cells, it apparently hold out the promise of reversing the death and degeneration of the brain cells. By which, it seems that this type of research is ethically problematic. ”Stem cells however are most readily harvested from embryos, and it is in this regard that this type of research is ethically problematic,” he said.
He also said that ”human embryos obtained in vitro are human beings and subjects with rights.” This is based on news from ABS-CBN.
This simply means that ALS Association is somewhat involved in the ”unethical practice” of using embryonic cells. Though, it was premature to say based on Villegas.
With this, he said that even though the research in ASL disease is important, it is also important to consider the guide of Catholic faithful and all the ethical teachings of the Church.
He also urged the participants to clarify that their donations should not go on the research that involves the use of embryonic stem cells. In addition, the church will support the ALS and other debilitating diseases as long as they are kept within the ”confines of the ethical demands of human dignity.”
Meanwhile, the said ice bucket challenge had become viral and still viral with an almost a month since it was released. At the moment, the donations have already reached almost $100 million.
