FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 41, NO. 2S •
Friday, June 20, 1997
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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WhiteHouse proposal on clolling called risky WASHINGTON (CNS) - The stated intent of the White House's proposed Legislation banning human cloning appears to differ from the bill's language in potentially risky ways, according.to a spokesman for the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. Richard DOI~rflinger, associate director of the secretariat, said there is "a chasm" between the way President Clinton described the cloning of humans as morally unacceptable and the wording in draft legislation he presented June 9 to prohibit research on such cloning. The bill was written following recommendations of the National Bioethic:s Advisory Commission, which the president had charged with examining the ethical and legal implications of cloning following the successful cloning of a sheep in Scotland. On June 9, after accepting the report, Clinton proposed legislation that he said would prohibit for five years any attempt to create a human being using "somatic cell nuclear transfer technology," the technique used by the Scottish scientists. "Somatic cell" means any cell of the body other than eggs or sperm. "Somaltic cell nuclear transfer" means the transfer of a cell nucleus froin a somatic cell into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed. The White flouse proposal would not restrict other biomedical and agricultural research using somatic cell nuclear transfer techniqu1es to create animals or to clone molecules, human DNA, cells and tissues. Doerflinger said because the bill lacks details and definitions, it seems to allow research up to a point just short of the
Doerflinger said because the bill lacks details and definitions, it seems to allow research up to a point just short of the birth of a clol1-ed baby human, including discarding viable embryos in a lab as long as a live human being is not produced. birth of a cloned human baby, including discarding viable embryos in a lab as long as a live human b~ing is not produced. A White House spokeswoman said the bill was drafted specifically to quickly define boundaries for the emerging technology of cloning through somatic cell nuclear transfer. "We think it will do what the president intends it to do," she said. At the White House event, Clinton said the unanimous conclusion of the commission's report was "attempting to clone a human being is unacceptably dangerous to the child and morally unacceptable to our society." "What the legislation will do is to reaffirm our most cherished beliefs about the miracle of human life and the God-given individuality each person possesses," Clinton said. "It will ensure that we do not fall prey to the temptation to replicate ourselves at the expense of those beliefs and the lives of the innocent children we would produce." However, he argued that allowing the cloning of human DNA or of animals would not pose the same moral questions and could lead to medical and agricultural advances. The bill, which had not been formally introduced in Congress as of June J I, summarizes the commission's findings and spells out just one prohibition. That section reads: "It shall b~~ unlawful for any person or other legal entity, public or private, to perform or use somatic cell nuclear transfer with the intent of introducing the product of that transfer into a woman's womb or in any other way creating a human being." Violations would incur a penalty of at least a $250,000 tine and forfeit of proceeds from prohibited research. While the legislation is pending, a ban on using federal funds to clone Turn to Page I I
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WITH GENTLE concentration, Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM, Cap. blesses newly ordained Rev. Marek Tuptynski at the June 14 ordination Mass. Fathers Tuptynski, Michael Kuhn and Thomas Kocik were welcomed into the brotherhood of priests that day at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River. (Anchor/ Mills photo)
Three jubilant men ordained at Cathedral By Christine Vieira Mills Anchor staff Sunlight poured through the long stained glass windows of St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall River June 14, decorating the interior with brilliant reds, blues, oranges and greens. Through the colors and the crowd gathered there, three men walked ... or rather, floated, because their feet barely touched the ground. Their faces beamed with excitement and their smiles reflected the overwhelming
welcqme a filled Cathedral and an entire diocese offered them. Thomas Kocik, Michael Kuhn and Marek Tuptynski had at last finished their seminary studies and their "intern" years. The preparations were over and this was the day they had waited for: ordination to the priesthood. Bishop Sean O'Malley officiated and dozens of diocesan and visiting priests concelebrated at the II a.m. ceremony
inducting the men into the Order of Presbyter. "I'ma little nervous," admitted Tuptynski, grinning from ear to ear before the Mass began. Most likely, the feeling was mutual. His two counterparts paced anxiously and, with their white robes billowing with the breeze they caused, attended to last minute details. Twenty-four red-robed Diocesan Choir members filled the immense space with their harmonious tones as white Turn to Page 13