Rome
Pope Benedict this week encouraged Catholics to boycott an Italian referendum on allowing the use of embryos in stem-cell research. Italian bishops are spearheading the campaign for a boycott, hoping for a turnout of less than 50 percent, which would render the vote invalid. “I am close to you in word and prayer,” the pope told the bishops. He said Italy must defend “the sacredness of human life and the promotion of the role of the family in society.” Italian laws passed last year limit the number of eggs that can be fertilized for an attempt at artificial insemination, and give full legal rights to leftover fertilized eggs. The referendum, scheduled for next week, would repeal those laws.
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