Statement of
Most Reverend Robert W. Finn
Bishop of Kansas City ~ St. Joseph

On the Passage of Constitutional Amendment 2 by Missouri Voters

November 8, 2006

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(Rome/Nov. 8, 2006) Over the last months, the Catholic Church has had the privilege of working and praying with many groups and individuals of faith and good will to educate Missourians about the intrinsic evils of human cloning and destructive embryonic research.  

Though we made great progress in helping more and more citizens discover the dangers of this seriously flawed proposal, we failed in the end to overcome the formidable material resources of its proponents.  

In Missouri, we have lost a significant battle for the protection of human life. The $30 million dollar campaign for Amendment 2 will come to be regarded as the Roe v. Wade of human cloning and will divert attention and public funds from already successful adult stem cell research. It will erode respect for unborn life and our appreciation of the way human life is to come into the world. The provisions of the amendment will enrich the biotech industry long before it succeeds in bringing about life-saving cures.  

The Catholic Church stands by its unparalleled heritage of compassionate health care and pledges continuing support for good science and ethical stem cell research.  

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