Vatican Condemns Obama Stem-Cell Decision

The Vatican is in a tizzy over President Obama’s decision to lift the federal ban on embryonic stem-cell research, the AP reports. A top official called it a “victory of politics over ethics” and said that “probably some drug companies, or some economic interests” influenced the move. Both the Vatican’s newspaper and the US Bishops Conference have criticized yesterday's decision.

L’Osservatore Romano ran an article today reiterating the Church’s position on the sanctity of all life, saying it is “the basis of a real democracy, capable of recognizing the equality of all men and of avoiding any unjust discrimination based on their development or health.” As he ended it yesterday, Obama said the ban encouraged “a false choice between sound science and moral values.” (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)