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Philippine bishops pour cold water on ice bucket challenge

Questions raised over ethically suspect research
Philippine bishops pour cold water on ice bucket challenge

TV host Kris Aquino, sister of President Benigno Aquino, takes on the ice bucket challenge. (Photo from Kris Aquino's instagram account)

Published: August 28, 2014 07:00 AM GMT
Updated: August 27, 2014 08:47 PM GMT

Filipino bishops are urging people who take on the "'ce bucket challenge' not to donate money for research using embryonic stem cells.

The Catholic Church views stem cell research as immoral and a violation of the sanctity of human life.

In a statement released on Thursday, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the bishops' conference said there have been reports that research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) involves the use of stem cells.

The challenge involves dumping a bucket of ice and cold water on someone's head to promote awareness of ALS – commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease -- and to encourage donations for research into its cure.

Villegas said stem cells "apparently hold out the promise of reversing the death and degeneration of brain cells," but warned, "this type of research is ethically problematic."

However, "the importance of ALS research cannot be overstated," he said.

Research "must proceed, for so many suffer," but Church leaders "must also guide the Catholic faithful, and all who heed the ethical teaching of the Church," he added.

He said that as long as researches "keep within the confines of the ethical demands of human dignity" these will be encouraged by the Church.

He also accused some people of trivializing the "ice bucket challenge" by turning it into a fad "rather than a gesture of solidarity with all who suffer from the disease".

As of this week, the ALS Association had raised US$88.5 million from the social media campaign. 

The association said in a statement on Tuesday that it is "awestruck" by the outpouring of generosity.

"This ... isn’t a matter of spending these dollars quickly," Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of the ALS Association, said in a statement. 

"It’s a matter of investing these dollars prudently to achieve maximum impact in our quest to help people living with the disease and those yet to be diagnosed." 

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