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_WORLD WATCH______________________________
_____________________GREAT BRITAIN_____________
Green light for cloning
Religious leaders unite in opposition
In January, as the House of Lords prepared to debate the legalization of human cloning, Britain’s religious leaders joined forces to express their moral doubts about the move. The Catholic archbishops of Westminster and Glasgow joined with the Anglican archbishops of Canterbury and York, as well as Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, Baptist, and Evangelical leaders, to urge that the measure be shelved.
In a letter to all members of the House of Lords, the religious leaders argued that “the philosophical and ethical implications” of cloning had not been fully considered and that the “complex questions” raised by human embryo cloning could not be addressed in a brief parliamentary debate.
Despite that plea, the House of Lords voted by an unexpectedly large majority in support of a change in the law, which will allow scientists to clone human embryos up to 14 days old.
Lord David Alton, a Catholic who has fought on behalf of the unborn child in both the Commons and the Lords, led the opposition to the government’s plans. During the debate he asked if it was right to treat the human embryo as “just another accessory to be created, bartered, frozen, or destroyed.” He said, “Since 1990, when miracle cures were promised for 4,000 inherited diseases, between 300,000 and half a million human embryos have been destroyed or experimented upon. There have been no cures, but our willingness to walk this road has paved the way for more and more demand.” Alton urged Peers to back an amendment blocking the Human Fertilization and Embryology (Research Purposes) Regulations until a select committee had “reported on the issues connected with human cloning and stem cell research.” But the proposed amendment was defeated by 212 votes to 92.
While many researchers welcomed the vote, others expressed concern over the House of Lords decision. Genetic ethicist Tom Shakespeare, told the BBC it was a worrying step. “There are actually things we can do with adult stem cells, so there are alternatives to this technology,” he said. “So there are very many reasons why we are going too fast and should be much more cautious about this development.”
“No” to no-fault divorce
Test suggests practical problems
The British government will scrap plans for a “no-fault” divorce process.
Ministers said pilot programs have shown that the system put forward in legislation by the Conservative government is unworkable and flawed. Under the 1996 Family Law Act, couples would have been granted a divorce within one year and would not have to apportion blame. The government’s decision means couples will be forced to continue to cite adultery or other serious reasons for the breakdown of their marriage.
The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, said the government would seek to have the legislation repealed as soon as possible. “The Act’s complexity is likely to cause a great deal of uncertainty over the divorce process which will be unhelpful for families at what is always a difficult and emotional time,” he said. He continued, “The government is committed to supporting marriage and to supporting families when relationships fail, especially when there are children involved.”
Seminarians to be screened?
Independence group could assess candidates
All potential seminarians in England and Wales could be vetted by a new national body, under proposals being considered by an independent committee set up to root out clerical child abusers.
The proposals are being taken seriously by the Nolan committee, established by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor of Westminster, following a string of revelations about child abuse by priests. The committee is also considering the proposal that clergy undergo regular assessments throughout their careers to ensure that priests who develop pedophile tendencies are identified.
Margaret Kennedy, the founder of Survivors of Clerical Abuse, told the Sunday Telegraph: “Candidates for the priesthood should be assessed by people who understand the mentality of abusers, including probation officers, social workers, and psychologists. But we also want all priests looked at.” She added, “In addition, all allegations that have been made in the past but not dealt with should now be re-examined. We have lost confidence in the priests in our parishes.”
Over the past six years, 26 priests have been convicted of child offenses in England and Wales.