Pope condemns human embryo cloning

ROME -- Pope John Paul has condemned the vision of human embryo cloning and commercial organ transplants as "morally unacceptable."

During the 80-year-old Pontiff's public address, given to an international conference on transplant techniques, he said: "Methods that fail to respect the dignity and value of the person must always be avoided."

But in a move that may encourage millions of Roman Catholics around the world to become organ donors, the Pope praised organ donation as an "act of brotherly love".

The Pope told the International Congress of Transplant Specialists: "There is a need to instill in people's hearts, especially in the hearts of the young generation, a genuine and deep appreciation of the need for brotherly love, a love that can find expression in the decision to become an organ donor."

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He stressed that such life-saving treatment should be available to all, on a needs basis and irrespective of commercial considerations.

"Any procedure that tends to commercialize human organs or to consider them as items of exchange or trade must be considered morally unacceptable."

The Pope's stance on organ transplant could prove pivotal in overcoming traditional ideas held by many of the world's billion Roman Catholics regarding the importance of bodily integrity at death.

That concern has resulted in many Catholics being reluctant to embrace organ donation.

The Pope's address has coincided with intense ethical debate in the wake of Britain's decision earlier this month to allow the limited cloning of human embryos for research purposes.

On the matter of so-called "therapeutic cloning" of human embryo stem cells, which in effect allows for the creation of human beings and their termination two weeks later, the Pope was explicit.

"Methods that fail to respect the dignity and value of the person must always be avoided. I am thinking in particular of attempts at human cloning with a view to obtaining organs for transplants."

"These techniques, insofar as they involve the manipulation and destruction of human embryos, are not morally acceptable, even when their proposed goal is good in itself," the Pope said.

"What is technically possible is not for that reason alone morally admissible,"

Yet, while drawing a strict line on embryo stem cells, the Pope said it was morally permissible to continue with established research on adult stem cells.

Scientists say studies of stem cells - undifferentiated cells that develop into all the different tissues of the body -- are key because they could help find ways to avoid the rejection of transplanted organs, as well as offering cures for illnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

But the Catholic Church opposes any tampering with embryos, teaching that life begins at the moment of conception.

During his speech, the Pope singled out the complete end of brain activity as an acceptable way to determine when death has occurred.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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