在過去的幾個星期，各地都在熱烈討論正在發生的「冰桶挑戰」捐助ALS協會的活動。
有消息指，透過「冰桶挑戰」而籌募的資金將會用作支持胚胎幹細胞的研究。這是違背天主教對未出生的生命的信仰價值觀。我們可以肯定這不是在加拿大的情況。
「加拿大ALS協會」已經向天主教的團體提供了一些實例，以確保在加拿大的ALS協會現在及將來都不會進行涉及胚胎幹細胞的研究工作。研究總監David Taylor博士在聲明中指出:
「我們不支持或沒有支持人類胚胎或胚胎幹細胞的任何研究（雖然我們在幾年前資助了一項對雞的胚胎幹細胞的研究）。好消息是科學真的不再需要胚胎幹細胞，因為我們已有誘導性多功能幹細胞(induced pluripotent stem cells)，這意味著我們可以採用任何從成人身上細胞，變成幹細胞，然後進入身體的任何其他細胞（如運動神經）。」
多倫多天主教總教區的一貫呼籲，是鼓勵大家支持許多在我們區內重要的天主教慈善機構，這確保捐助的款項能幫助以我們的信仰價值觀運作的慈善機構。但是，必須澄清的是通過「冰桶挑戰」向「加拿大ALS協會」作出的慈善捐款並不違反我們的天主教價值觀。
來源: 多倫多天主教總教區
圖片: catholicnews.com
英語原文:
There has been a great deal of fun and important discussion taking place in the past several weeks around the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
There is information circulating that funds raised through the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS will support research using embryonic stem cells – something that runs counter to our faith values for the sanctity of the lives of the unborn. We can confirm this is not the case in Canada.
ALS Canada has provided information in a number of instances to assure the Catholic community that ALS Canada has not, and will not in the future, engage in research involving embryonic stem cells, including this statement by Director of Research David Taylor, PhD: “We don’t support or have not supported any research with human embryos or embryonic stem cells (though we did fund one study on chicken embryonic stem cells several years ago). The good news is science really doesn’t need embryonic stem cells anymore because we have what is called induced pluripotent stem cells which means we can take any cells from adults and turn them into stem cells, and then into any other cells of the body (such as motor neurons).”
It is the general practice of the Archdiocese of Toronto to encourage the support of the many important Catholic charities in our region, in an effort to ensure that funds are handled in concert with our faith values. However, it is important to clarify that the work of ALS Canada and charitable contributions made to ALS Canada through the Ice Bucket Challenge do not contravene our Catholic values in this regard and the Ice Bucket Challenge is a morally sound (and fun) fundraising activity.