Real Catholic Blog

Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano is touting a new source of stem cells that it calls “the future of medicine” (see Catholic Online). The stem cells are taken from amniotic fluid to create a retinal regeneration therapy. The Biocell Center of Busto Arsizio in Milan is leading the research in the field and the Vatican, as per proxy in LR, is encouraging it.

Our faith teaches us that this type of  stem cell research is moral because it does not destroy human embryos. The fact is, despite the demagoguery of those who advance the embryonic stem cell argument, not one significant medical breakthrough has resulted from the millions of dollars and years of research that have gone into it. Meanwhile, hundreds of breakthroughs have occurred in adult stem cell research, such as from chord blood (see Family Foundation Blog).

Another fact: Even though research shows that adult stem cells can be manipulated into mimicking embryonic stem cells, thus eliminating the need for the destruction of embryos, the abortion lobby and allied groups  remain adamantly against defunding embryonic stem cell research. It exposes their real aim of encouraging abortion because if all they were concerned about was the research, then the “mimicking” process would be the “common ground” so-called “pro-choicers” always claim they seek (see telling video at Family Foundation Blog).

In addition to the Biocell Center of Busto Arsizio, Harvard Medical School’s Department of Opthalmology, the IRCCS Foundation and three Italian hospitals are among the institutions that have joined in the research. See Catholic Online via Catholic News Agency for the entire report.

The Vatican’s Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, wrote a beautiful, inspiring piece this week in L’Osservatore Romano warning priests of the dangers of self-interpretation and subjective views of the Gospel, stating, “No priest proclaims himself or his own ideas, nor his personal or subjective interpretations of the one and eternal Gospel”  (see CatholicNewsAgency.com) 

He emphasized the importance and seriousness of the priest’s role in proclaiming the Gospel. Because the Gospel is the undeniable Word of God, it must be preached with dignity and wisdom, with no room for personal interpretation, especially such that rationalizes passing societal fancies. Archbishop Piacenza explained that priests must find this dignity . . .

. . . from daily intimacy with Him, from lectio divina, as part of the great tradition of the fathers, from deep meditation that gradually transforms each priest into a “living Gospel.”

We know well that the “Gospel is not only words, Christ himself is the Gospel” and we are called to be conformed unto Him, through the exercise of the ministry of proclamation as well.

He also addressed preaching itself, reminding priests that the only absolute is God, and human opinion cannot be substituted for Him:

Wise preaching always considers first the real demands of those who receive it, never imposing arbitrary and insufficient interpretations, but rather always preferring the one true thing that is necessary: the real encounter with God of those entrusted to our care.

. . . always (be) aware of the work of God in each proclamation: it is He who prepares the hearts, it is He who encounters men, it is He who brings forth the flowers of conversion and ripens the fruit of charity.

Archbishop Piacenza did acknowledge one form of relativism that priests should undertake: To “be totally (related) to God.” The Lord, he wrote, ”loves those who give with joy and never leaves His servant alone.”

In this Year of the Priest, I’m sure His Excellency’s words were especially appreciated by his brother priests.