Washington, DC, June 8, 2001:   The executive director of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Mary Jane Owen, T.O.P., with the support of the Board of this organization established in 1982 to oversee welcome and justice for approximately 15 million Catholics with disabilities, will appear today at a press conference which will introduce Representative Chris Smith’s (R- NJ) Responsible Stem Cell Research Act of 2001, H.R.2096.

She suggests, "This bill will authorize federal funding for research which will make use of stem cells secured by morally acceptable means. It provides Catholics with an opportunity to support this exciting area of research without violating their respect for all human persons. The Smith bill offers a stark contrast to one offered by Representative Jim McDermott (D – WA) that calls for the destruction of living human embryos.

In defining "qualifying human stem cells," the Smith bill calls for "stem cells obtained from human placenta, umbilical cord blood, organs or tissues obtained from a living or deceased human being who has been born, or organs or tissues from unborn human offspring who died of natural causes (such as spontaneous abortion)."

A survey conducted between June 1 and 5 indicates a majority of Americans do not favor federal funding of stem cell research that requires the killing of human embryos. The poll, conducted by International Communication Research (ICR), indicates that 69.9% of American adults are opposed to federal funding of such research while only 23.9% support such deadly experimentation.

Ms. Owen, a woman involved with disability advocacy since she lost her sight in 1972, was pleased with this newest indication of public opinion: "I have very publicly opposed the destruction of my tiniest brothers and sisters as researchers have suggested such practices are the only way to ‘cure’ my blindness and the other disabilities I have acquired over the years. I am gratified to learn from this survey that a majority of my fellow citizens appear to agree with me that some experimentation is too threatening to our moral fiber as a nation to be tolerated. The media and Hollywood personalities have dominated the news to the extent that we had little idea what our neighbors were thinking about his terribly important issue. The idea that immature human life can be used as a product for research or to enhance the quality of life of another person is abhorrent. No one, no matter how admired or powerful, should be allowed to destroy another’s future potential or eliminate their opportunity for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

NCPD has been responsible for the development of welcome and justice within the church and the total fabric of society for approximately 15 million Catholics with disabilities since it was founded in 1982. The office is guided by the Catholic Bishops’ affirmation that support of the human right to life calls for a commitment to the right to equal access to education, employment, housing, medical services and free access to public accommodations.

Most disabled people are as interested in cures as anyone else. They also seek better tools for living, greater inclusion, respect and recognition of their unique gifts. But cures attained by immoral means do not enhance the inherent dignity of anyone. NCPD affirms that if we take such a utilitarian view of who and what we are, we will have lost a sense of the unique gifts that our varied abilities and experiences bring into society.

Ms. Owen notes, "There is a disturbing trend these days, toward a utilitarian view of human lives. I am hopeful the current drive toward a utilitarian set of "ethical" rules will eventually fall into disrepute, as did the eugenics campaigns of a few decades ago. Then it was the extremes of the Nazi drive toward development of a "Super Race" that cooled interest in eugenics and allowed recognition of the value of variations in human abilities and disabilities. I hope the dreams of attaining a "Superman" will not again drive us over the edge into social alienation."

Ms Owen is a blind wheelchair user. She became the executive director of NCPD ten years ago after a career ain the academic, private and federal sectors. For the past 28 years she has been developing creative options encouraging people with various disabilities to fulfill their God-given potential.

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