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The Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life has written a letter explaining that the conference on stem cell research was cancelled for economic reasons, and the Vatican gives no credibility to pro-life activists who criticised the event, reports the Vatican Insider.
Father Renzo Pegoraro, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy, stated this in an official letter sent to speakers and participants who had registered for the conference. The letter was also signed by Father Jacques Suaudeau, an Academy official in charge of organising the conference.
The letter - seen by Vatican Insider - explains that “unfortunately” the Pontifical Academy was “forced” to cancel a “high level scientific” conference due to the lack of sponsors and the low number of registrations for the event. The letter was sent one month ahead of the expected date for the opening of the meeting.
Given these circumstances it was impossible to make a budget balance for the Conference Pegoraro explained: “Only half of the foreseen expenses would have been covered by funds from the Jérôme Lejeune foundation and Monaco’s Bioethics Advisory Committee.”
In relation to the debates roused by some Catholic scholars and representatives of the pro-life movement - including members of the Academy - against the decision to invite some scientists working with embryo stem cells (the use of which is condemned by the Catholic Church), the letter states “that there is no conclusive link between their campaign against the conference and the decision to cancel it.”
The conference would have dealt exclusively with the study of adult stem cells.
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Pro-life activists had nothing to do with cancellation of stem cell conference (Vatican Insider)
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