FAQs on STEM CELLS

In view of the current controversies surrounding stem cell research, it would be appropriate to try to present some information regarding stem cells. I will try to answer some common questions regarding embryonic stem cell research as well as other alternatives such as adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

1) What are stem cells?

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells(ie. a cell that has not yet specialized into a particular type of cell like a liver cell or muscle cell or brain cell). They have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells. A stem cell can divide into daughter cells identical with itself or it can become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.


2) Why are stem cells unique?

Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some organs, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged tissues. In other organs, however, such as the pancreas and the heart, stem cells only divide under special conditions.


3) What is a stem cell’s potency?

Potency refers to its capacity to differentiate into particular type of human cells.

a) Totipotent stem cells: Totipotent stem cells can differentiate into every tissue in the human body including the extraembryonic support tissues like placenta, umbilical cord and amniotic sac, Such cells can construct a complete, viable, organism. A single celled embryo(also called a zygote) is totipotent These cells are produced from the fusion of an egg and sperm cell. Cells produced by the first few divisions of the fertilized egg are also totipotent.

b) Pluripotent stem cells: Pluripotent stem cells are the descendants of totipotent cells and can differentiate into nearly all cells, i.e. cells derived from any of the three germ layers but not the extra embryonic support tissues. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent.

c) Multipotent stem cells: Multipotent stem cells can differentiate into a number of cells, but only those of a closely related family of cells e.g. blood cells.

d) Oligopotent stem cells: Oligopotent stem cells can differentiate into only a few cells, such as lymphoid or myeloid stem cells.

e) Unipotent stem cells: Unipotent cells can produce only one cell type, their own, but have the property of self-renewal which distinguishes them from non-stem cells (e.g. muscle stem cells).


4) What is the difference between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of an embryo usually during the blastocyst stage (around 5 days old). In the process of harvesting these cells, the embryo will be destroyed. Embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated, self renewing, pluripotent cells.
Adult stem cells too have the ability of self proliferation and differentiation. They are derived from adults cells but not from embryo. They are also found in newborn tissues e.g. the cord blood of new born babies. Although some adult stem cells have been found with the capacity for pluripotency, most are only capable of differentiating into the tissue type or related cell type of the tissue they were found.

5)What are the ethical concerns surrounding stem cell research?

The objective of stem cell research is indeed noble. It has the potential ability to treat a host of diseases such as Alzeimers / Parkinsons disease, spinal cord regeneration stroke, diabetes, heart failure, liver failure, inflammatory bowel disease, short bowel syndrome, GI motility disorders.
It is currently being used in haemopoietic stem cell replacement.
The nobility of such objectives should not justify the means. Is it justifiable to kill embryos to achieve such objectives? Those who judge human embryos to be human beings think that embryonic stem cell research is wrong. There are those who believe that embryos are “pre human entities” and that such research are justified. The Catholic church does not condone embryonic stem cell research. The Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have consistently supported stem cell research that does not exploit or destroy embryos. (Please refer to the following references: i)Pontifical Academy for Life, Declaration on the Production and the Scientific and Therapeutic Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (August 25, 2000); Catholic Online, "American Bishops Reaffirm Church Support for Adult Stem-Cell Research," www.catholic.org, June 26, 2006, www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=20275. ii)Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Dignitas Personae (On Certain Bioethical Questions) (2008), nos. 24, 31, 32.)

Adult stem cell research avoids this ethical problem by avoiding research on embryos altogether. Adult stem cell research has made remarkable progress in its ability to treat serious diseases. In contrast, embryonic stem cell research despite all the millions of dollars spent have produce nothing but failures.

6) What are induced pluripotent stem cells(IPSC)?
This latest research which was pioneered by researchers in late 2007 shows great promise as it avoids the ethical controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell altogether.
Here an adult somatic cells(usually a fibroblast) is induced to become like an embryonic stem cell through a process whereby certain genes are inserted into the somatic cell via the help of viral vectors. The resulting stem cell which is pluripotent will have similar properties to embryonic stem cells. These cells can then be allowed to develop into tissues to be used for transplantation and other therapeutic uses.

AFCMA President's update

The peace of the Risen Christ be with you! I am writing to you to update you some of the things that have happened since my last communication to you.
You must be aware by now that our new AFCMA Exco. have formed two Committees viz. (1) Medical Mission Committee headed by Dr. John Lee and assisted by Dr. Michael Poon to look after our overseas medical mission and (2) Bioethics Committee headed by Dr Edna Monzon from Phillipines to help in the Formation of Catholic Health care workers on Bioethics issues,etc..Please look at our AFCMA web-site for the names of the other Committee members of these two Committees.
I am pleased to inform you that besides the wonderful work done by Dr. John Lee on behalf of AFCMA and FIAMC in reaching out to those in need we also have other AFCMA member countries and individuals who are also doing God's work within their own resources eg.
(1)the Myanmar Missionary trip 2009 by the Guild of St. Luke,St.Cosmas and St. Damian Hong Kong.I am fowarding their report prepared by Dr. Michael Poon to you. They were working together with the Zetaman(= one who is sent to serve) --a group of lay people and Sisters in the Taunggyi Diocese in Myanmar.Apparently they need USD15,000.00 to build a home for HIV orphans.
(2)Sister Mary Lou who is actively involved in her Handan project in China trying to raise funds for a new 6 storey Hospital which does not even have an elevator. She is also trying to get someone to 'adopt a boy' at the Sacred Heart Seminary Prep School I for USD 200 per child per year. These youngsters are all hopeful candidates for the Priesthood and are from the nearby farms.
(3)Presently our AFCMA is involved with an outreach program in Ho Chi Min City together with our Australian(Oceania) partner. Our Vietnameses colleagues need to relocate their HIV Clinic as the owners need back the building. They will need USD30,000.They also have an attap shed 30 Kilometers outside Ho Chi Min City which is in a deplorable condition and does not even have doors so that the patients will all get drenched when it rains! This shed is used to house the terminally ill HIV patients. Fortunately The Japan Catholic Medical Association led by Dr. Buichi Ishijima has agreed to join inthis Outreach Mission and hopefully with the help of Caritas Japan they will be the main sponsors. The Catholic Doctors Association of Malaysia together with Catholic Doctors of Western Australia represented by Dr. Leonard Chan are the other parties involved in this humane mission. I myself will be going to HCMC to meet up with Dr. Buichi Ishijima, Dr. Takeuchi and Father Yamaguchi there in June 09 and will give you a short report of our trip there when we return from HCMC.
Meanwhile please pray for the success of all our AFCMA Missions mentioned above. If you have any Mission work that your Association has done or will be doing please let me know.
Before I end please remember (1 Cor. 10.31)--Whatever YOU DO.. DO ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

Influenza A H1N1 guidance

Everyday preventive actions for Influenza: 1) Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. 2) Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. 3) Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. 4) Avoid close contact with sick people. 5) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. 6) If you get influenza-like illness symptoms, stay home from work or school except to seek medical care and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

You may obtain more info from the following website:
http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/

AFCMA Committees

There are 2 AFCMA Committees namely Overseas Mission Committee and Bioethics Committee. The Chairperson and members of these 2 committee are as follows;

Medical Mission Committee: Chairman--Dr. John Lee (Singapore) assisted by Dr. Michael Poon (Hong Kong),Other Committee Members: Dr. Freddie Loh (Malaysia), Mr. Savoeun Choung (Cambodia),Dr. John Tang (Taiwan) and Dr. Kwang-ho Meng(Korea).

Bioethics Committee : Chair Person--Dr. Edna G Monzon(Philippines),Other Committee Members:Dr. Peter Au Yeong(Hong Kong), Dr. Buichi Ishijima(Japan),Dr. John Hui (Singapore), Prof. Hung-chi Lue (Taiwan)and Dr.Chong Khin Yam (Malaysia).

FIAMC Statement on OBAMA & Life Issues

Here is the statement released today by the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations about new threats to human life under the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

The election of Barak Obama as President of the United States marked an important watershed in American history and culture. Running for office in a time marked by economic and geo-political turmoil, Obama promised to be a force for positive change, political reconciliation and effective government. Unfortunately, President Obama has begun his term with actions that will undermine respect for human life, human dignity and religions freedom. We call upon Catholic physicians and health care providers, and all people of good will, to spare no effort in convincing President Obama to reverse these decisions.

During the 2008 campaign, some Catholics and self-identified Catholic advocacy groups endorsed Barak Obama for President based in part on his support for economic justice and foreign policy, and in part on his pledge to try to reduce the number of abortions by increased social spending on support for pregnant women. Yet as a legislator and as a candidate, Obama had taken positions utterly opposed to respect for human life. For example:

-- Obama has long been an advocate of abortion on demand, and has touted his 100% approval rating from Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortion in the United States;

-- Obama opposed every limitation on abortion, including laws requiring parental notification and consent before minors could obtain abortions;

-- Shockingly, as a state senator, Obama actively opposed any protections for infants born alive after failed abortion procedures and misrepresented his record on this issue during the 2008 campaign;

-- Finally, during the campaign, Obama proudly proclaimed his support for the “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA) -- the most radical expansion of abortion license in the world -- and promised to sign the law as President.

In addition to his unqualified support for abortion, Obama has promised to provide federal funding for stem-cell research that destroys human life at the embryonic stage.

Since taking office, President Obama has engaged in a series of actions that indicate that he is prepared to implement his prior support for abortion.

-- Within the first few days of taking office, Obama overturned the “Mexico City Policy,” a U.S. government policy that denies federal funding to international agencies that promote or perform abortion as a means of birth control;

-- More ominously, when overturning this policy, President Obama indicated his willingness to provide financial support to the United Nations Population Fund, an organization that lost U.S. government funding after it collaborated with the Chinese government’s coercive “one child” population policy.

-- President Obama is filling his Cabinet and Administration positions with supporters of abortion, including Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State (who has long been a proponent of abortion “rights” in the United States and around the world); Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff (who had a 100% voting record with the National Abortion Rights Action League as a member of Congress and a reputation as an aggressive pro-choice politician); Dawn Johnsen, nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (who was the Legal Director for NARAL and part of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project); Eric Holder, Attorney General (who has been a longtime supporter of abortion “rights”); Melody Barnes, Chair of the Domestic Policy Council (who has been a member of the boards of directors for both Planned Parenthood and Emily's List); Ellen Moran, White House Director of Communications (who is the current executive director of Emily's List); and Thomas Perelli, nominee for Associate Attorney General (who collaborated with pro-euthanasia attorney George Felos to successfully starve Terri Shiavo to death).

-- While he has made no move to encourage the passage of FOCA, many are still concerned that the provisions of FOCA will be added piecemeal to other bills and legislative acts.

-- Finally, President Obama has declared his opposition to the new HHS rule that protects the conscience rights of health care providers. The rule was enacted in the last days of the Bush administration in response to many threats to the conscience rights of physicians, pharmacists and health care providers in the United States.

In light of these actions and appointments, we are issuing an urgent appeal to President Obama to reconsider his support for abortion and research that can succeed only by destroying innocent human life. In addition, we offer our prayers, encouragement and appeals to Catholic physicians in the United States to educate the public and to oppose these efforts to promote abortion. Finally, we appeal to all members of FIAMC to be vigilant in opposing the new threats to human life and dignity that could now come from the Obama administration officials in foreign policy positions and at the United Nations.

Christmas message from AFCMA President

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
May the Peace and Joy of Christmas be with you!
We have just returned from the succesful 14th AFCMA Congress held in Hong Kong.
Congratulations to Dr. Peter Au Yeong, Dr. Michael Poon and the Hong Kong Guild of St. Luke, St. Cosmas and St. Damian for a job well done.The theme of the Congress was "Human Dignity in Modern Medicine".
At the Congress a new team of Council Members was elected. A Medical Mission Committee headed by Dr. John Lee to help in overseas mission emergencies was formed. Tha Bioethics Committee headed by Dr. Edna Monzon was also formed to look into and address issues that challenge our Church's teachings,etc.. Please look at our AFCMA web-site www.afcma.blogspot.com for the full list of Office Bearers. Special thanks to Dr. K.Y.Chong for looking after and updating our AFCMA web-site.
As the new President of AFCMA I hope that you will give me and our Council Members your fullest support so that together we will bring greater glory to God! During the next 4 years I hope that together we will continue to advocate for the dignity of vulnerable persons such as the unborn,elderly,disabled and the terminally ill,etc. as per the the 14th AFCMA Congress's resolution. Interestingly the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith from the Vatican has just issued the "Dignitas Personae" a document which addresses a range of bioethical issues including stem cell therapies,embryo experimentation and infertility treatments. It focusses on the dignity of the human embryo and promotes biomedical research that is respectful of the dignity of every human being and procreation.
Another matter that I wish to address during my term of office is the AFCMA country membership. At the just concluded AFCMA Congress His Eminence Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care exhorted us to reach out to those Asian countries which are not yet members of AFCMA. I sincerely hope that with God's grace we will be able to increase our country membership by at least one country when we meet for the next Congress in Indonesia in year 2012. If you know of anyone who can help us in this matter please let us know.Thank you.
As we waitwith joy to celebrate the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a Blessed and Merry Christmas andmay HIS light shine through us to guide us and act according to HIS WILL. Amen!
Yours Sincerely in Christ,
Dr. Freddie Loh
President AFCMA

!st Communication from our President

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We had just had the successful AFCMA Congress in Hong Kong. Grateful thanks to Dr. Peter Au yeong and Dr. Michael Poon and the rest of the Organising Committee.
I must thank you for having faith in me by electing me as the new AFCMA President. I am rather worried whether I can carry such a heavy responsibility. Nevertheless I am comforted by the fact that I have a strong Council consisting of experienced and young enthusiastic members to run the Association with me.
I must stress that we are all doing this for HIS Greater Glory. I pray that the Holy Spirit will envelope all of us, to empower us in our efforts and zeal in trying to continue with and improve on the good work that the previous AFCMA Council had achieved. We must also commit ourselves to adopting and following the Resolutions made at the 14th AFCMA Congress in showing respect for 'Human Dignity' by our words and actions.
Finally for logistic reason I think that it is best we communicate by e-mail.
Thank you and God Bless Everyone.
Yours Sincerely in Christ,
Dr. Freddie Loh

Petition against Pro Abortion Lobby

As a first step towards advocacy for the human dignity of the unborn, you can consider joining the following petition:

Pro-abortion lobbyists are scheduled to lobby the UN on 10 Dec 2008, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to make abortion a human right. C-FAM are running a signature campaign to counter this. In the last 9 days over 50,000 have added their signatures and the total number is over a quarter of a million. Go to the following link and check them out:
http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.95/default.asp

14th AFCMA CONGRESS

The 14th Congress of the Asian Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (AFCMA) was successfully concluded in Hong Kong on 30th November 2008.

We would like to congratulate Dr FREDDIE LOH from Malaysia who was elected as the new President of the AFCMA during the 14th AFCMA congress. We pray that God will give him and his new office bearers the grace and wisdom to carry out their tasks for the next 4 years.

The Congress Resolution made at the conclusion of the meeting was:

This congress reaffirms that all human beings have an inalienable dignity proper to the human nature present in everyone. In respect for this human dignity, we pledge to:

1. disseminate the knowledge about the inalienability of human dignity
2. care for our patients in way that maximally preserves their dignity, and
3. advocate for the dignity of vulnerable persons, such as the unborn, elderly, disabled, and the terminally-ill,etc.

You may access details of the lectures given during the Congress at the following AFCMA website: www.doctor.catholic.org.hk/14afcma.html

Alternatively, you may go to our links section and click on "14th AFCMA Congress"

US Bishops comment on Freedom of Choice Act

In the last United States Congress meeting, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any "interference" in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.

Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.

FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.

On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.

The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.

This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful. We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation. The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.

Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government. Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected "watchman." (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.

New Office Bearers, HONG KONG

Here is a message from the new Council of the Guild of St. Luke, Hong Kong:

On behalf of the Guild, I am delighted to inform you that our new Council has been elected in 55th Annual General Meeting on 20 June 2008. Details are as follows:

Master:Dr. Michael Poon 潘志明醫生 (Surgery, NDH)

Honorary Secretary:Dr. Wong Pui Yan Stella 黄佩茵醫生 (Medicine, TKOH)

Assistant Honorary Secretary:Dr. Ambrose Leung 梁焯燊醫生 (Medicine, YCH)

Honorary Treasurer:Dr. Francis Chu 朱俊傑醫生 (FM, NTWC)

Our correspondence address is PO Box No. 11302, General Post Office, Hong Kong

Our email address is: hk_guild@pacific.net.hk

Thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely, from Dr. Stella Wong, (Hon. Sec.)

Our heartiest congratulations to the Hong Kong Catholic Doctors

US Bishops' Statement on Stem Cell Research

Following is an abstract from the recent US Bishops' statement on Cloning & Stem Cell Research:

"Scientists hope these biological building blocks can be directed to produce many types of cells to repair the human body, cure disease, and alleviate suffering," they noted. "But some scientists are most intrigued by stem cells obtained by destroying an embryonic human being in the first week or so of development. Harvesting these 'embryonic stem cells' involves the deliberate killing of innocent human beings, a gravely immoral act."

They looked at 3 false arguments put forth to justify destroying human embryos to obtain stem cells: "1) any harm done in this case is outweighed by the potential benefits; 2) what is destroyed is not a human life, or at least not a human being with fundamental human rights; and 3) dissecting human embryos for their cells should not be seen as involving a loss of embryonic life."

After showing the fault in each argument, the bishops noted: "This is not only a teaching of the Catholic Church. Our nation’s Declaration of Independence took for granted that human beings are unequal in size, strength, and intelligence. Yet it declared that members of the human race who are unequal in all these respects are created equal in their fundamental rights, beginning with the right to life.

"Tragically, this principle of equal human rights for all has not always been followed in practice, even by the Declaration’s signers. But in our nation’s proudest moments Americans have realized that we cannot dismiss or exclude any class of humanity -- that basic human rights must belong to all members of the human race without distinction."

"Human cloning is intrinsically evil because it reduces human procreation to a mere manufacturing process, producing new human beings in the laboratory to predetermined specifications as though they were commodities. […] This is especially clear when human embryos are produced by cloning for research purposes, because new human lives are generated solely in order to be destroyed," the bishops clarified.

They added: "Some researchers and lawmakers even propose developing cloned embryos in a woman’s womb for some weeks to harvest more useful tissues and organs -- a grotesque practice that Congress has acted against through the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006.

"Some would solicit women as egg donors for human cloning research, even offering cash payments to overcome these women’s qualms about the risk to their own health from the egg harvesting procedure."

Referring to a proposal that has already been approved in the United Kingdom, the bishops continued, "Other researchers want to use animal eggs for human cloning experiments, creating 'hybrid' embryos that disturbingly blur the line between animal and human species."

"It now seems undeniable that once we cross the fundamental moral line that prevents us from treating any fellow human being as a mere object of research, there is no stopping point," the prelates stated.

Referring to Pope John Paul II's "The Gospel of Life," they added: "The only moral stance that affirms the human dignity of all of us is to reject the first step down this path. We therefore urge Catholics and all people of good will to join us in reaffirming, precisely in this context of embryonic stem cell research, that 'the killing of innocent human creatures, even if carried out to help others, constitutes an absolutely unacceptable act.'"

"The issue of stem cell research does not force us to choose between science and ethics, much less between science and religion," the bishops concluded. "It presents a choice as to how our society will pursue scientific and medical progress. Will we ignore ethical norms and use some of the most vulnerable human beings as objects, undermining the respect for human life that is at the foundation of the healing arts?

"Such a course, even if it led to rapid technical progress, would be a regress in our efforts to build a society that is fully human. Instead we must pursue progress in ethically responsible ways that respect the dignity of each human being. Only this will produce cures and treatments that everyone can live with

AFCMA Congress in Hong Kong

Just a friendly reminder to keep your dates free for the coming AFCMA Congress in Hong Kong in November 2008:

Date: 27th to 30th November 2008

Venue: 9/F Catholic Diocese Centre
16, Caine Road, Hong Kong

Theme: Human Dignity in Modern Medicine

Accomodation:Bishop Lei International House,4 Robinson Road, Mid Levels, Hong Kong(2min walk to congress venue)Room rates are HK 780.00 per night inclusive of breakfast.

Registration fees: US $ 200 or HK$ 1,600 ( for early birds before 15/8/08)
Contact: afcma08@gmail.com for more details

AFCMA CONGRESS, HONG KONG

Dear brothers and sisters,

By the grace of our Lord, we are delighted to announce the 14th Congress of Asian Federation of Catholic Medical Associations will be held in Hong Kong from 27th to 30th November 2008. The congress is jointly organized with Hong Kong Catholic Nurses Guild and Catholic Diocesan Commission for Hospital Pastoral Care.

The topic of the congress is "Human Dignity in Modern Medicine"

Lookng forward to meeting you!


Love In Christ,

The Guild of St. Luke, St. Cosmas and St. Damian Hong Kong

A message from the Pope on Bioethics

Pope Benedict XVI invited the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to give particular attention to "the difficult and complex problems of bioethics." In this context, he indicated that the "Church's magisterium certainly cannot and should not intervene on every scientific innovation. Rather, it has the task of reiterating the great values at stake, and providing the faithful, and all men and women of good will, with ethical-moral principles and guidelines for these new and important questions."

"The two fundamental criteria for moral discernment in this field," he added, "are unconditional respect for the human being as a person, from conception to natural death; and respect for the origin of the transmission of human life through the acts of the spouses."

The Pope highlighted new problems associated with such questions, such as the freezing of human embryos, pre-implantation diagnosis, stem cell research and attempts at human cloning.

All these, he said, "clearly show how, with artificial insemination outside the body, the barrier protecting human dignity has been broken. When human beings in the weakest and most defenseless stage of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or used as pure 'biological matter,' how can it be denied that they are no longer being treated as 'someone' but as 'something,' thus placing the very concept of human dignity in doubt."

The Holy Father highlighted how "the Church appreciates and encourages progress in the biomedical sciences, which opens up previously unimagined therapeutic possibilities."

At the same time, he pointed out that "she feels the need to enlighten everyone's consciences so that scientific progress may be truly respectful of all human beings, who must be recognized as having individual dignity because they have been created in the image of God." In this context, he concluded by ensuring participants in the plenary assembly that study of such themes "will certainly contribute to promoting the formation of consciences of many of our brothers and sisters."

Bioethics & The Sanctity of Life

Bioethics is defined as the application of moral principles to the life sciences, to the many problems in relation to human life that has resulted from the rapid advancement in science and technology.

I will very briefly outline the many bioethical issues which we face today. Included in this discussion are:
1) Beginning of life issues:- such as i)assisted reproductive technologies like sperm donation, eggs donation, surrogate mothers, frozen embryos and lately tailor made test tube babies designed to produce tissue for bone marrow transplantation, ii)cloning, iii)embryonic stem cell research and iv)abortion.
2) End of life issues: euthanasia, dysthanasia, orththanasia, life support and adequate nutrition & hydration for comatose patients and persistent vegetative states,
3) Organ transplantation
4) The death penalty

In the field of assisted reproductive techniques very few are acceptable to the moral teachings of the church. Examples of those techniques which may be morally acceptable are GIFT (Gamete Inta-Fallopian Transfer ) and Lower Tubal Ovum Transfer (LTOT). IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization or test tube babies), Cloning and embryonic stem cell research all involve destruction of embryos and are thus not approved. Presently many Catholics still do not know that IVF is not morally acceptable. There are still some Catholics who still have the mistaken belief that abortion is permissible for health reasons or in cases of rape or incest.

Euthanasia is defined as an action or omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may be eliminated.
Dysthanasia is defined as the undue prolongation of life which ends in an undignified death. It is an abusive use of extraordinary or inappropriate technological means to prolong life – usually costly and usually done for fear of a malpractice lawsuit.
Orthothanasia means correct dying. It is allowing to die. Human Life must be protected and even dutifully prolonged but should not be unduly or uselessly prolonged. It is not a form of passive euthanasia. It is vital to make a difference between allowing death to occur and intending death to occur.

When treating a dying patient, there is the question of appropriate versus inappropriate care. A patient with terminal and advanced prostate cancer is in severe pain and agony during the last few days of his life. His doctor administers morphine which helps relieve suffering but hastens his death. Is this appropriate? Yes, of course. A lot of doctors still fail to prescribe adequate doses of morphine for their dying terminally ill patients. Adequate hydration and nutrition in patients who are in a coma or in a persistent vegetative state are considered ordinary means and should not be withheld. The only exception is when they are imminently dying or when the nutrition cannot be assimilated by the patient’s body.

Organ donation for the purpose of transplantation is in itself good. It should be encouraged as an act of solidarity and charity. However all risks of harm to both donor and recipient must be kept to the minimum and the benefits must outweigh the risks. There should be no discrimination in the procurement and allocation of organ. Buying and selling an organ is wrong. It is against the dignity and worth of a person and could lead to exploitation, coercive profiteering, poor health standards and misinformation.

As for capital punishment and the death penalty, our late Pope John Paul II have often spoken against this and it would be wrong for a doctor or health care worker to assist in lethal injections and other such procedures.

In summary, as Catholic Doctors we should defend human life from the moment of conception till its natural end. We should inculcate virtues that are essential to ethical and good patient care and I feel that the 5 essential virtues are: 1)Truthfulness in carrying out one’s duty 2) Respectfulness for the patient’s dignity and rights 3) Compassionate and Competent care 4) Humility and 5) Prayerfulness.


Posted by Dr K Y Chong

New Office Bearers in HONG KONG

Please be informed that the new office bearers of the Guild of St Luke, St Cosmas and St. Damian have been elected in June 2007. Details are as follows:

Master: Dr. Au Yeung Kar Kit, Peter
Honorary Secretary: Dr. Wong Pui Yan, Stella
Honorary Assistant Secretary: Dr. Ambrose Leung
Honorary Treasurer: Dr. Francis Chu
Thank you for your attention.
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“Responses to Certain Questions Concerning Artificial Nutrition and Hydration”

On August 1, 2007, The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued responses to two questions posed by Bishop William Skylstad on July 11, 2005, then-President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, concerning the 2004 address of Pope John Paul II, “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State: Scientific Progress and Ethical Dilemmas.” Included was a commentary explaining the reasoning and implications of the responses. (click here to read the text of the document).

The responses were intended to settle certain questions that have arisen over the meaning and proper interpretation of John Paul II’s 2004 address. The first response affirms that the provision of food and water is “an ordinary and proportionate means of preserving life” and therefore obligatory so long as it fulfills it purpose, “which is the hydration and nutrition of the patient.” In its response, the CDF does not single out any class of persons, but reaffirms the general teaching of John Paul II that the provision of food and water is “in principle” obligatory for all patients, although the commentary does later list some cases in which this rule does not apply. The second response affirms that one may not remove the artificial provision of food and water from a patient simply because a physician has concluded with certainty that the patient will never regain consciousness. The loss of consciousness is not a sufficient reason to deprive a patient of ordinary care.

The responses provide a clear rejection of the claim of certain theologians that the provision of food and water for patients in the persistent vegetative state is not morally obligatory. Nutrition and hydration are to be considered ordinary care, not an extraordinary means of preserving life.

We would note that it is unusual for the CDF to provide a commentary to its own responses. Typically, a Vatican reply to a “dubium” consists of a short response and that is all. The commentary is left to others. In this case, however, the CDF appended a very thorough explanation of its position that was evidently meant to ensure that there would be no occasion for theological misunderstanding.

A Change in Catholic Tradition?

Whether the provision of food and water for patients in the persistent vegetative state is morally obligatory has been a controverted question within the Catholic Church for several decades. The 2004 statement of John Paul II, “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State,” was meant to provide some resolution to this question, but it received a mixed response from certain theologians in the United States. Of particular note was the claim that John Paul II had broken with 200 years of Catholic tradition and rejected the teaching of Pope Pius XII on when to forgo extraordinary means of treatment. The CDF responses and commentary address these concerns.

The commentary takes pains to note that John Paul II’s address stands in conformity with previous tradition and is not, in any way, an innovation or an abandonment of previous teaching. The commentary reviews a series of high-level statements from Vatican sources all tending toward the same conclusion on the necessity of providing nutrition and hydration to patients in the vegetative state, including the CDF’s Declaration on Euthanasia (May 5, 1980), the Pontifical Council Cor Unum’s “Some Ethical Questions Relating to the Gravely Ill and the Dying (June 27, 1981), an address of John Paul II to the participants of an international forum on leukemia (November 15, 1985), the Charter for Health Care Workers issued by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance (1995), and an address of John Paul II to bishops of the United States on their ad limina visit to Rome (October 2, 1998). This review of previous statements speaks to the claim of those who have said John Paul II’s address was completely unexpected and without precedent. The commentary notes that the Pope himself made reference to many of these same documents in his address “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State.”

Of greater significance is that the commentary responds to the claim that John Paul II and Pius XII stand in opposition to each other over the question of whether food and water should be provided to patients in a persistent vegetative state. The commentary acknowledges that the address of Pius XII to a Congress on Anesthesiology, “The Prolongation of Life” (November 24, 1957), is often cited in defense of the view that nutrition and hydration may be taken away from these patients; however, it points out that this is clearly a misreading of the text. Pius was addressing the question of resuscitation in those who had suffered a serious illness and were in the process of dying or already dead. Patients in a vegetative state are not dying. They “breathe spontaneously, digest food naturally, carry on other metabolic functions, and are in a stable situation.” When food and water are removed from these patients, “the cause of their death will be neither an illness nor the ‘vegetative state’ itself, but solely starvation and dehydration.”

The cases under discussion by Pius XII and John Paul II differ. One concerns the prolongation of life through possibly extraordinary means in a patient who has suffered a life-ending illness; the other concerns the preservation of life through ordinary means in a patient who is in a seriously debilitated but stable condition (not dying). Providing food and water to those who are in a permanently unconscious state is not an attempt to effect a cure of their disability, but “to keep the patient from dying of starvation and dehydration.”

Some Exceptions to the Rule

The commentary points out that the CDF recognizes certain exceptions to this rule. In places where medical science is not advanced, and the provision of food and water by artificial means is not possible, there is no moral obligation. The same is true of cases in which food and water are not being assimilated by the body because of disease. In rare cases, it is also possible that nutrition and hydration will be excessively burdensome for a patient, for example, when their administration by tube causes medical complications.

Vatican critical of Amnesty International's Abortion stand

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone says that Amnesty International's decision to support abortion is not the solution to violence against women.

"Even the life that is the result of violence should be saved," said the cardinal in an interview today with Vatican Radio.

"Even though they are persons in gestation, they are persons, they are human subjects, with all the dignity of a human being," he added.

"Certainly violence against women needs to be fought against," Cardinal Bertone affirmed, "[fighting] against this inhumane form of violence that is rape."

He added that it is "necessary that we all fight to defend the dignity of women, and of each woman."

But, the cardinal emphasized, "life cannot be eliminated as such, even though it is the result of violence."

Amnesty International announced in June that its current policy regarding abortion "is to support the decriminalization of abortion, to ensure women have access to health care when complications arise from abortion and to defend women's access to abortion, within reasonable gestational limits, when their health or human rights are in danger."

Closing of Stem Cell Firm(News from Zenit)

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, JULY 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A prominent bioethicist says he hopes that the closure of ES Cell International, a leading embryonic stem cell research facility, is a sign of growing realism.

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk commented on the closure of the biotechnology firm in Singapore, telling ZENIT, "We can only hope that a certain realism may finally be sinking in, as Wall Street types recognize that the timeline for clinical therapies is likely to be quite long."

The firm closed when investors concluded that "the likelihood of having products in the clinic in the short term was vanishingly small," Alan Colman, former chief executive of ES Cell International, told Science magazine.

"The comments of Alan Colman remind us that some investors may have succumbed to the fever-pitch hype that has been a defining characteristic of this area of science for many years," Father Pacholczyk affirmed.

He added: "Progress in human embryonic stem cell research has been slow over the past few years, and the proposal to treat sick patients remains largely a speculative endeavor at this moment in time.

"Beyond the technical impediments and the need for much more basic research, there remain grave moral impediments affecting this entire area of research as well, and it is clear that some investors are exercising caution about stepping into the midst of what has certainly become an ethical minefield."

"On the other hand," Father Pacholczyk explained, "there are a number of companies that are pursuing and rapidly developing treatments for patients based on adult stem cell applications, and the timeline for these therapies suggest that investors may actually see returns in just a few years, with the added advantage that no fundamental moral lines will have to be crossed to garner a profit."