Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (2007)
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (2007) is currently passing through the UK parliament.
Read the Bill (Progress of the Bill including links to debates)
What's the Church's response?
Resources
In December 2007, detailed briefing packs were sent out to the parishes of England and Wales with a covering letter from Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff:
Covering letter from Archbishop Smith to parish priests
One-page parish briefing document
HFE parish briefing pack: supporting weblinks
Joint submission on the Human Tissue and Embryos (draft) Bill
This document was put together jointly by the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (July 2007).
Latest news on the HFE Bill
Newsnow.co.uk is a news portal that searches thousands of news sources every minute. It currently holds a 'live' newsfeed on the Fertilisation and Embryology debate that updates every two minutes. Click here to read the latest external news on the issue.
Note: the links on this feed are to external sites and, as such, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales cannot be held responsible for content found on these sites or the views contained therein.
On Friday 16 May, Scientists, ethicists, heads of medical charities and religious leaders gathered at the Wellcome Collection in London to discuss the complex ethical issues that lie at the heart of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. The discussion lasted two hours and can be viewed online from 11pm, Saturday 17 May. Click here to watch the discussion in full.
BBC Radio 4 are broadcasting a special 40-minute programme focusing on the discussion. This will be aired at 10.15pm on Saturday 17 May.
Click here to read the press release on the discussion.
Sunday 25 May 08
Bishop of Lancaster expresses his sadness after the second reading of the HFE Bill in the House of Commons
The Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster expresses his sadness after listening to the second reading of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill and the votes on proposed amendments in the House of Commons.
Sunday 18 May 08
Catholic leaders back adult stem cell research with grant
The presidents of the Catholic Bishops’ conferences of England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland today announced the award of a £25,000 grant, funded from a special Day for Life collection, as a sign of their support for adult stem cell research in the UK. Click here for more...
Friday 16 May 08
Missing the meaning: Professor David Jones's response to BMJ article "Can a cell have a Soul?"
Prof. David Jones responds to an article by Prof John Burn in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) called "Can a Cell have a Soul?"
Click here to view full article: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/may/pv1132.pdf
Monday 12 May 08
An Ethical Look at Human-Animal Embryos
Click on the link above to read Prof. David Jones' article on the HFE Bill as it passes through the House of Commons. David Albert Jones is Professor of Bioethics at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham.
Tuesday 25 March 08
Statement from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Archbishop Peter Smith on the HFE Bill
Tuesday 25 March 08
Embryo Bill - statement from Archbishop Vincent Nichols
Monday 24 March 08
"The present position of the Labour government on key moral issues is disturbing" - says Archbishop Vincent Nichols
Broadcast over Easter weekend
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor on Sky News
In an interview with Sky News, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has said that MPs should be allowed a free vote on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
Monday 24 March 08
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in The Guardian
“Freedom is not simply a capacity to do whatever we want, when we want, as we want: that benefits only the fittest and the most powerful. Nor is freedom just a political or social construct. It belongs to our essence as moral persons, and cannot be divorced from our purpose as human beings. It carries with it a deep responsibility for others and for the world in which we live. Only the cultivation of such a moral solidarity will galvanise the political will needed to confront the emerging global environmental crisis. A society that does not see this, that makes absolute individual autonomy, does not guarantee our freedom. It destroys it. It is in this spirit, too, that I have called for MPs to be given a free vote on the human fertilisation and embryology bill.”
Monday 24 March 08
Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff refutes accusations on Human Fertilisation Bill
Archbishop Peter Smith has refuted claims that Catholic Bishops had been misleading people on the HFE Bill. He called for a genuine debate on those issues in the Bill which go to the heart of what it means to be human and for all MPs to be given a free vote.
Sunday 23 March 08
Archbishop of Liverpool urges a ‘yes to life’ in Easter Sermon
In his Easter sermon the Most Reverend Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool, backed Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor in the debate over the Embryology Bill.
Speaking at the Solemn Mass of Easter Day in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool, the Archbishop said:
“That freedom we now proclaim by renewing those promises, that echo the day when in the waters of baptism we were born again to become children of God. a yes to life; a yes to life fittingly spelt out by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor and Cardinal Keith O'Brien this Easter; a yes to the Holy Spirit in our hearts; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Easter homily preached by the Most Reverend Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool
Sunday 23 March 08
In his Easter Vigil homily, the Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster spoke out against the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill:
"All right thinking people will agree that we must seek to discover cures for diseases that cause so much human suffering. But compassion cannot result in us exploiting and destroying the life of unborn human beings."
Easter Vigil Homily preached by Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster
19 February 08
Now is the time for our voices to be heard on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, says Cardinal
20 December 07
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill Parish Resource Pack
20 December 07
Majority of Peers oppose use of human embryos; Lord Alton calls for Hunt Test to be put into law
30 November 07
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
Public events
Flyer: public meetings 1
Flyer: public meetings 2
How do I act?
You can write to your MP either by post or by email:
To find out the name of your local MP, visit the parliament.uk website
You can email your local MP through the writetothem.com website
Useful Links and Resources:
Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics
St Mary's University College, Twickenham
P4L exists to raise awareness of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill currently going through Parliament. On this site you will find information on the bill, what the Government is planning, and what you can do about it.
MPs write to Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the HFE Bill
Jim Dobbin MP, the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group and five other Labour MPs have written an open letter to the Prime Minister expressing concern about his understanding of the detail of the bill. Read more here.
Lobby of Parliament on the HFE Bill
There will be a lobby of Parliament on the HFE Bill on 14th May. Those interested in speaking to their MP will need to make an appointment with him/her to meet at Parliament – the Passion 4 Life group will provide specific briefings to help, and we’ll put on refreshments, provide literature and there will be speeches from (and an opportunity to meet) pro-life MPs.
Alive and Kicking online petition on abortion
Alive and Kicking are urging Parliament to support amendments to the Abortion Act which will reduce the 24-week upper time limit, end discriminatory abortion of the disabled up until birth, and provide balanced evidence-based information, independently of the abortion service, that gives women a properly informed choice, along with the offer of counseling.
View the petition:
http://www.aliveandkickingcampaign.org/petition/
The 20 weeks campaign
Nadine Dorries MP has launched the official parliamentary campaign to reduce the upper limit for abortion from 24 weeks to 20 weeks ahead of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill debate in the House of Commons (May 08).
Nadine is supported by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Vincent Argent, former medical Director of BPAS, and Dr Peter Saunders, General Secretary of the Christian Medical Fellowship. Ultrasound pioneer Professor Stuart Campbell is also backing her campaign.
Also on the link below, you will find a briefing paper, '20 Reasons for 20 Weeks', outlining the case for cutting the present 24-week limit to 20 weeks.
Visit: www.the20weekscampaign.org
(note: whilst care is taken to select links carefully, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales cannot take responsibility for content found on external links)