Notre Dame's adult-stem-cell-research ad and initiative

Today, at halftime of Notre Dame's pathetic disappointing loss to Navy, this ad -- which describes a research project that uses adult stem cells and proclaims Notre Dame's commitment to life from conception to natural death -- ran.  And, this new webpage, on Notre Dame's Initiative on Adult Stem Cells and Ethics, was launched. Among other things, the new webpage has this:

The Catholic Church has been a robust participant in the ethical debate over stem cell research. It has vigorously opposed the use and destruction of embryos on the grounds that it constitutes the unjust taking of innocent human life for the benefit of others.

The Church’s argument follows from two premises.

First, as modern embryology confirms, the human embryo is a living, complete, whole, integrated, self-directing, member of the human species who will, if given the proper environment, move itself along a trajectory of development to the next mature stage.

Second, all human beings possess an equal moral worth and dignity, regardless of age, condition of vulnerability or dependence, circumstance, or the value of their life as judged by others.

Accordingly, “the use of human embryos or fetuses as an object of experimentation constitutes a crime against their dignity as human beings who have a right to the same respect owed to a child once born, just as to every person.” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Dignitas Personae on Certain Bioethical Questions).

Thus, Catholic researchers and research institutions are morally prohibited from participating in such research, either directly (i.e., deriving the embryonic stem cell lines), or indirectly (i.e., “there is a duty to refuse to use such “biological material” even when there is no close connection between the researcher and the actions of those who performed the artificial fertilization or the abortion, or when there was no prior agreement with the centers in which the artificial fertilization took place.” Id.).

At the same time, the rich tradition of the Church embraces “science [as] an invaluable service to the integral good of the life and dignity of every human being,” and “hopes …that the results of [biomedical] research may also be made available in areas of the world that are poor and afflicted by disease, so that most in need will receive humanitarian assistance,” (Id.)

In service of this goal, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recently urged scientists and research institutions to “dedicate themselves to the progress of biomedicine and [to] bear witness to their faith in the field.” (Id.).

Concretely, in the same instruction, the Church explicitly noted that “research initiatives involving the use of adult stem cells, since they do not present ethical problems, should be encouraged and supported.”

Notre Dame is uniquely situated to take up this charge by exploring cutting-edge adult stem cell research (along with other forms of stem cell research that do not require the use and destruction of human beings at any stage of development) in the name of the common good.

In this way, Notre Dame aims to bear witness to the proposition that respect for the dignity of the human person and devotion to excellence in science are integral and indispensable components of the richest understanding of the ends of biomedical research.

This is, of course, not enough; Notre Dame (and, of course, other Catholic universities) needs to do more to move the ball, and spread the word, on the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person.  But, it seems to me, this is a good thing.  Lots and lots of people (true, many of them were probably throwing things at their TV, angered by the Irish's performance) were reminded, on NBC, of the inviolable dignity of every person.