Q. 1. What is the Catholic Church's position regarding stem cell research?

A. 1. According to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops:

• The Catholic Church is not opposed to all stem cell rearch. Most stem cell research uses cells obtained from adult tissue,umbilical cord blood, and other sources that pose no moral problem. Useful stem cells have been found in bone marrow, blood, muscle, fat, nerves, and even in the pulp of baby teeth. Some of these cells are already being used to treat people with a wide variety of diseases.

• The Catholic Church is opposed to stem cell research that uses embryos because the harvesting of these stem cells kills the living human embryo. The Church opposes the direct destruction of innocent human life for any purpose, including research.