Catholic Australian Politician Would Rather Go to Hell Than Back Down on Embryonic Stem-cell Research

From LifeSiteNews.com:

SYDNEY, Australia, June 6, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Catholic politician in New South Wales has told the Archbishop of Sydney he would rather go to Hell than oppose legislation legalizing human cloning for embryonic stem-cell research. Several other politicians are persisting in publicly defying Australia's Cardinal Pell, who condemned embryonic stem-cell research and the decisions of those who support such research in unequivocal terms.

Archbishop George Cardinal Pell, leader of the Catholic Church in Australia, told Catholic state lawmakers Tuesday that human cloning and destruction of embryos for research was a “serious moral matter” and their votes would have “consequences” for their lives in the Church.

“Maybe I'll go to Hell, but if I go to Hell I'm going to do so by saving a lot of lives, because that's what this bill is about," said Tony Stewart. "We don't need a religious leader telling members of parliament what should be done."

Pell did not mention “excommunication”, but did tell reporters that he may deny Premier Morris Iemma Communion, prompting outrage from Iemma and other “Catholic” politicians, incredulous that the Cardinal would dare sanction them for openly rejecting the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life.

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The bill would permit “human-animal hybrids”, “fertilizing immature eggs from aborted girls with adult male sperm” to form new embryos, and “mixing the genetic material of more than two persons” and destroying them at 14 days for their stem-cells.

“It passes the moral and ethical issues and gives people hope,” said Iemma.

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My Comments:
Sounds somewhat familiar, except that over in this country the Catholic politicians generally tell the Church to go to Hell.