The Church has been among the most vocal opponents of embryonic stem cell research based on the belief that embryos are human beings. In Korea, a country leading that field of science, the Catholic Church is donating millions of dollars to aid research involving adult stem cells in the hope of reducing the increasing reliance on embryonic stem cells to treat hard-to-cure diseases.

"The research harms the integrity of life, and that's why we cannot accept the use of embryos," the church said. It wants to fund research on adult stem cells derived from bone marrow or umbilical cords that would otherwise be discarded after a baby is born. They say this is more practical and does not cause ethical controversy.

The Seoul Diocese set up a committee to donate W10 billion (US$10 million). The church said it will not assist the research of Korea's Dr. Hwang Woo-suk who grabbed the world's attention last year by announcing the successful cloning of a human embryo. Catholics have criticized Hwang since his work involved using human eggs and destroying embryos to harvest stem cell batches.

Embryonic stem cells have the potential to become any cell or tissue of a human body like bone, skin or blood. In contrast, adult stem cells, which can be harvested from adult patients, can only be used to create specific cell types like muscle tissue from muscle stem cells. The decision by the Seoul Diocese may still fuel an ongoing debate between religious and academic groups over the desired type of stem cell research.

Arirang News