The following comes from an April 11 posting on the website of the California Catholic Conference.
A 14-year-old Riverside CA girl whose health has made remarkable improvements after she began treatment with adult stem cell therapy three years ago was honored this week at a Vatican conference on adult stem cell therapy.
Elizabeth Lobato has gotten stronger and resumed growing since she began receiving stem cells from her father and another donor, according to the Riverside Press-Enterprise. The girl’s “life has been transformed by an infusion of adult stem cells that strengthen her severely fragile bones,” the newspaper said.
Elizabeth was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, that caused her bones to break frequently. By age 6 she had stopped growing entirely.
The experimental treatment with adult stem cell therapy has improved her condition, both strengthening her bones and causing her growth to resume. Although she still is limited in her activities, the progress has been exciting and uplifting for her parents and four older sisters.
The research is being carried out under the direction of Dr. Edwin Horowitz, at Philadelphia (PA) Children’s Hospital.
The progress report was made at the Second International Vatican Adult Stem Cell Conference, April 11-13, in Rome. The program brought together a wide mix of scientists working on stem cell research.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is immoral to destroy embryonic stem cells—which are the beginning of a new human person–for therapeutic benefits. Adult stem cells do not end a life so their use in therapy does not have a moral concern.
California became the epicenter of debate in 2004 when voters were urged to pass Prop. 71, allocating $3 billion for a new California stem cell research institute (CIRM), that was presented as focusing on embryonic stem cell research.
Since then the field has shifted dramatically and adult stem cells have moved to the center of research….
To read entire posting, click here.
This is good news.. She is a beautiful little girl..God bless her and this treatment.
This story should be shared in every parish with the added incentive to contact the state legislature to oppose a new bill once more increasing the funding and the work of embryonic stem cell researchers. Using embryonic cells kills a newly conceived human being to benefit another, not necessarily unworthy ill person, but another person, nevertheless. The involuntary sacrifice of one human life for another. California is becoming the new Aztec culture of human sacrifice to appease the gods of industry and science.
May God be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“May God be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Does this mean you will now ONLY be glorifying His Natural Law over glorifying and enabling support of certain unnatural laws?
You have for over two years falsely accused me of supporting homosexuality. I do not support, enable, glorify, defend homosexual acts. I conform to Church teaching on all things (and I don’t put all in asterics like you do). I do not support, enable, glorify or defend any unnatural sex acts. You have told many lies about me. If you meant something different concerning certain unnatural laws, post back to explain. I do not understand why you do this. It has nothing to do with standing up for the Faith. We have had a troubled history. At one point you said that you wanted me to leave the website and leave the Church. I know that I enraged you because you often misrepresent things I wrote or take them out of context to try to make me look like a supporter of gays (well at first you and another tried to make it look like I was gay). There is another poster (maybe another poster, maybe another persona) who does the same thing. The only real Catholic response to what I wrote here is “Amen.”
In addition, it is not fair to other posters and other posters have complained about the comment section being used for petty grudge matches.
Triple ‘Amen’ –
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
Remark attributed to Lincoln.
Wow Catherine you have one angry lady after you there….she even said for two years? Wow who has time to count? I actually saw her persecuting many a times your comments..she keeps trying to correct you when there was no needing to be corrected….she interfered when you defended the faith or admonished a gay activist etc….this works both ways. I don’t think she see’s that about her self.
Maybe it’s best to steer clear away from her….she doesn’t sound very happy…..keep doing what you are doing…sharing the faith….that is lovely but don’t cross k because it’s too dysfunctional. I applaud you Catherine for all your lovely comments in defense of the truth……I think that me coming in this one may actually have k after me too….whew…we don’t want world war you know what…..
I feel really bad about this and now when this beautiful little girl googles herself she gonna see all this ugliness. God bless Elizabeth Lobato and I praise him for her healing and for the knowledge He has given man.
k I’m glad that you felt bad about your response to Catherine…it’ not unreasonable to feel bad especially with your concern of her reading this…you went to deep of the handle with saying two years and blah blah….too long. It just sounds one sided and not taking any responsibility for your own doing.
well back to this topic….K lets keep this treatment and this Little girl in our prayers. We are grateful for her courage and strength. She is a blessing and we can see Jesus and hope in her innocence and humility.
Adult stem cells are the answer. Proof herein. Stop destroying human embroys now!
Amen to that Sandra.
I have had some differences with k at times, but never have I read anything pro-sodomite from her on this site. Ambiguous sometimes, but never absolutely pro sodomite!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Thank you Mr. Fisher. In a case of ambiguity, you can be assured it is my inablitiy to express myself. I am 100% in conformity with the Catholic Church on all things.
” In a case of ambiguity, you can be assured it is my inablitiy to express myself.”
That one is a real doozy!
k, how can you claim to be 100% conformed to Catholicism in all things while saying you are unable to express yourself? Are you saying that the Church is not able to express itself?
Skai,
Brilliant!
k, Jesus, the Logos, the Word of God, is perfect expression. When a soul is lined up or united with the clear Word of God, then there is no, zero, zip, nada, nyet ambiguity in it … you should study this criticism until you understand it. Your blogs show that you tend to rip through Church material w/o learning all that much of it. Better would be to go over and over and over a particular Doctor until you have no more amiguity in anything you express. Don’t you realize why it is that they are called Doctors of the Church???
Kenneth Fisher,
“I have had some differences with k at times, but never have I read anything pro-sodomite from her on this site. *Ambiguous sometimes*, but never absolutely pro sodomite!”
Kenneth are you all right? I hope that you have not been kidnapped, placed on a stretcher rack being held up in some tower for ransom. Please don’t tell us that even YOU are now embracing, accepting and defending occasional ambiguity. Ambiguity is one of the preferred methodologies of the father of lies. Occasional ambiguity is no less harmful especially when it is deliberately applied to cause lack of clarity , lukewarmness, mediocrity or confusion.
“Evil always takes advantage of ambiguity.”……GK Chesterton
Mr Fisher Catherine is right. There were times where I felt that she was misguiding some by her interference when Catherine pointed out some error or quoted truth to make a good point to another. Many of us are infected with well intended hearts but it’s not always standing by the truth….many a times it compromises Christ’s mission. I think k means well at times, I often wonder if that comes from her own flaws…well I speak for all of us…sometime we are so heavy in our flaws that we tend to lean more towards the false compassion that is described well by Bishop Fulton Sheen.
God bless you…we appreciate your faithfulness.
I have to agree, Kenneth.
Anne T don’t forget that k sometimes posts by the name Anonymous as well.
Anne T.
You are so sweet and always consistently supportive of Church teaching but I have to heartily disagree with your’s and Kenneth’s assessment of the clever methodology of this poster. Perhaps Anne, you have not paid very close attention to every post. Abeca certainly has paid attention. Anne, Could that be true that you have missed quite a bit of the exchange? As for Kenneth Fisher, Kenneth does know better but human nature can often override one’s better self in remaining shrewd and loyal to Christ over one’s pride. Kenneth is usually adept at recognizing duplicity and what one is usually adept at recognizing cannot easily be dismissed, that is unless wounded pride overrules truth. I know that Kenneth knows what I am saying even if he might not admit this at this time. Anne T. Do you remember when you shared with us the story about your neighbor who was involved in reading books about the devil? You said that other neighbors avoided her but that you wanted to be kind so you spent time with this neighbor and even allowed this woman and her children to spend time with your children and that you never saw anything overtly threatening there either? Anne, I was astounded by your naivety regarding the influences of the devil. You said that you wanted to show kindness to this person who was involved with reading books about the devil. Anne, That let me know how very sweet and trusting and naive you were to the potential dangers and it was very risky of you to knowingly invite this person and her children into your life and the lives of your children, no matter how infrequent it was. We are no match for the powers and cleverness of the devil and we should never place ourselves or our children in the company of someone who is interested in having a relationship with Satan. Anne, After you innocently let everyone know that you saw absolutely no danger in inviting this woman and her children to spend time with your family I am not at all surprised to read that you do not see the duplicitous pattern in k’s posts. k, even supported the anti-Catholic blog Bilgrimage which hails sodomy as a rite. How much more evidence does one need? Anne, Some of the very brightest and most faithful sounding posters on this site have also been fooled and then in later posts I could see that they recognized the duplicitousness by their responses. You do not recognize it but it is clearly there, that is if you have followed every post.
I guess we are imperfect and that is not a sin…..but we should pray that God helps us see right through deception. I know that k often denies some of our concerns coming from her tone in or interruptions from some of her comments perhaps it is coming from her imperfection as well…I’ll try to give her the benefit of the doubt there but it still does not take away from the truth…..we still need to help the church and it’s mission and not bring forth about confusion and that is what k sometimes brings forth to the table…
I say this because there were times I just didn’t say anything and when I read her comments, it sometimes gave the impression that she could go both ways and that made me question her integrity….not wanting to offend her because I know how sensitive and defensive she can be but it does bring forth some concerns to me especially when I myself am still growing and not wanting to be mislead.
Please have some respect for Elizabeth. Please stop lying about me. This 14 year old girl does not need to be burdened with this kind of stuff.
There is no lying here…you always play the victim….if we all did just what you do here…then we would all be playing victims every time someone corrected us….you have done that many a times to Catherine…you don’t see Catherine or I play the victims with you….well k ….I close this conversation with you. Clearly there is no going anywhere with this….but we already know…
lets agree to disagree. Catherine k is not going to come out and agree. So time to move on.
You ARE being exposed. You are NOT being honest. You have a historical pattern of deceptive flip flopping once you have been exposed. You did support the blog Bilgrimage. You have also defended and enabled every homosexualizing topic or that comes down the pike. You also undermine priests who uphold and defend Church teaching on sexual morality and you have discredited and undermined a priest for being faithful by denying Holy Communion to those who advocate same sex unions.
These are giant red flags of not just occasional ambiguity but a spiritually underhanded methodology used to enable agendas while claiming all the while to be faithful. Our children’s rights to live in a society that does not distort and mock God’s Natural Laws are being slowly removed. The consistent enabling and protection of same sex marriage advocates has and will make this world a very difficult place to be for all innocent children. You speak of the word burden while ignoring the fact that all innocent children will be burdened with the continuing consequences of witnessing and living in a nation that is embracing immorality and unnatural laws. You have vigorously enabled and defended the agenda of homosexualists while claiming at the same time to agree with Church teaching. The martyrs and the saints never endorsed or supported ambiguity when it came to clearly upholding and defending Church teaching. They never confused, distorted or tried to silence faithful priests who courageously taught the Catholic faith by their heroic actions. They were consistently loyal to Christ. No man can serve two Masters.
The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 7 Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible
7:20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
7:21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
7:22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name?
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
“Evil always takes advantage of ambiguity.”……GK Chesterton
Sorry to Elizabeth and her family, but I feel the need to relay this. Elizabeth’s parents are faithful Catholics as witnessed on other articles about Elizabeth’s award. I support them and all Catholic faithful. I have been accused of supporting a blog called Bilgrimage. I had to google it to remind myself what it was. It is a blog by a dissident theologian. It supports many things which Catholics like myself are fighting against. I am alarmed to find at the top of the blog a quote that says “We need in every community a group of angelic troublemakers.” This quote has frequently been used by the person who posts as Catherine who accused me of supporting anti-Catholic websites and sodomy. I have spent decades praying for, working for and supporting Catholics like the Lobato’s who are so firmly Catholic that they will not fall for temptations like embryonic stem cell research. I have spent decades praying for and asking God to bless all who preserve the Catholic faith intact. I have also prayed and sacrificed for the conversion of those who misguide those who know little about the faith. Please support faithful Catholic websites; please support those in your own parish and on the internet who are participating in the New Evangelization. If you know the Faith, share it. If you don’t know the Faith learn it. And do not fear the arrows that fly by day. Jesus will protect and reward you. Had my enemy not falsely accused me, I would not have learned what I had. All things work for the good for those who love God and work toward his purpose. God bless the Lobato’s and all the faithful.
k, the aspect of your blogs cycles from pro-gay agenda to actual Catholic perspective.
Catherine, that situation with the woman who was probably dabbling in witchcraft was about forty years ago. I was far younger and less wise then. Nevertheless, she did not get me involved in any pagan or idolatrous activities. No I have not read all of K’s posts or anyone else’s either as I just do not have the time to read them all. Nevertheless, we should praise people when they are right as well as correct them when they are in serious error. I have no idea whether or not K has posted under the name Anonymous. Many of us have at times accidentally done so when we forget to put in out user name. I do not know which Anonymous to whom you are referring when you say she has posted as such.
Then maybe you should have declined from starting a statement to begin with.
Not unless some people do not believe Catherine or think she is fibbing or imagining things? Which is not the case judging from her clear consistency of love of truth.
In all of Catherine’s postings, I have seen consistency in faithfulness in sharing and defending truth/faith….. now if people have difference in opinion…then let the debate go on….
I agree with Catherine’s assessment and we certainty know that some are not truly honest…I know Catherine to be honest and calling things to ones attention on how they come across is not to cause indifference but to help dissolve the confusion that some bring here. At least I can say is that those few who admitted to being pro-gay rights, at least we know and they were honest about it and we can respect their honesty and continue to pray for them as we would hope many would pray for us when we are in bad will.
Well it doesn’t matter anymore because we will have to move forward now….hopefully on upcoming news that we strive to honor God and not contribute to confusion or add more grief but hopefully with clarity and truth we can unite to help the church with Christ’s mission….etc
this is little girl’s story gives us hope for better treatments for those need it. I hope that this advances and that people stay clear away from the unborn.
I have read about this on other sites, and I am so happy this little girl was helped by this kind of ethical treatment. Adult and cord blood stem cell research are the right way to go, and many have been helped by them. I know one little girl whose neurological problems were helped, and her “walled” eye was corrected on it own without surgery from treatment with her own cord blood stem cells. Embryonic stems cells are mostly taken from aborted babies, so they do not have Church approval unless they were taken from a legitimate miscarriage. Also, the body rejects them as foreign matter from what I have read because the baby is not related to the person receiving the treatment and is not compatible.
Embyonic stem cells are taken from embryos created through IVF, which is immoral.
They are also taken from aborted fetuses, too, K.
There is a website called “Stem for Life” that is worthy of our donations and has Vatican approval.
Thanks Anne T….it’ s call Stem for Life….I’ll look that up. I know that it takes a lot of money to fund to find cures through this type of research. I think that there is to much politics that prevent us finding true good cures. I hope many will support this….it’s worth the try to save more life’s.
The people at Stem for Life are not actually involved in the research now, but they advertise and get out messages about the successes of adult stem cell research to get more people to back such ethical types of stem cell research, such as skin and cord blood. Sad to say, quite often those who do the ethical researchs also do the unethical ones too, which involve embryios from aborted child.
Oops! make that aborted children.
What a remarkable this little girl. God bless her and may she continue to show more progress as times continues on.
Elizabeth Lobato has a website where you can donate to her medical care. She needs to receive the stem cell treatment every 4 months and still is undergoing bone marrow treatments. She would like to be able to walk again. God bless all the good people who care about her.
Catholics are known for their intellectual standards as well as people who tend to conduct themselves with a certain level of dignity. Not for us is holy rolling in the aisles, nor do most of our priests shout at us as if we were in a backwater revival tent. It would be so lovely if we could behave with a modicum of decorum on this site as well, and minimize the personal attacks, aiming for a level of Zero, wouldn’t it? Otherwise California Catholic Daily, a publication which provides us useful, informative and interesting information in a dignified manner 5 days per week, becomes the Catholic version of the Jerry Springer Show. You can use your God-given hands to write in honor of God, or you can pull hair with those hands and scratch out eyes of anyone who irritates you; we are blessed with free will.
I love to read about your perspectives on the topic at hand or even related topics that are not necessarily exactly topic-specific, but can you please spare me the blood and guts? Decent people are appalled by the personal attacks we are so often exposed to, and timid people are afraid to post here, fearing the wrath of those who choose ungodliness.
Let’s do our human best to serve God, truth, and Catholic values in these columns and vow to abhor terrorist lingo on California Catholic Daily.
Maryanne it’s interesting how you view this situation in a worldly view by comparing it the disgusting show Jerry Springer…i truly with all due respect, disagree with you…..it’s far from the truth….we are not pagans etc…but with the acceptance of homosexual acts, I guess some make it that way because they come on a Catholic website and bring forth confusion…we shouldn’t try to discredit the faithful just because of the dissenters especially the Pro gays and their activism.
It is also your opinion and truly does not represent what is truly the intentions of some here. Also years ago when this site first started, I recall asking many from the faith what they thought about this website….many of the faithful and I mean many have expressed concerns that this website was taken over by many homosexual activists or pro-gay folks and that is why they declined to be in support of it. Not because of the few faithful that post here, no….we are not here to win popularity not at all and yes it can get heated at times…but what blog have you not ever seen that happen too?? With anything, somethings can get out of control and I agree there but there is no out of control here….it is just a conversation and speaking with clarity. I have seen it get out of control on topics like the death penalty etc….but here…NO NOT THE CASE, just trying to clarify. But not everyone admits things and I’m sure some of us will just have to agree to disagree.
Well anyhoo back to the topic of this website:
But since we I have close friends who know the owner and his good heart….there are the faithful who stay here faithfully combating those who dissent the faith. It’s truly a personal one for me….I really appreciate the owner of this site. Especially since he is pro-life. Also this website has improved even in it’s articles, there are more inspirational ones of the faith….it’s growing and I few more faithful posting, it’s refreshing to see more faithful comments, I would pray that our faith still has faithful souls who love it and defend it. Well take care my friend…God bless you. : )
Maryanne, sorry for my part in it. Thanks for standing up for greater integrity in this comment box.
k,
Greater integrity means consistent clarity and defense of all Church teaching. There will be absolutely nothing to apologize for if we consistently uphold and defend Church teaching.
precisely k…that is what Catherine is trying to make you understand but you don’t.
I defend all Church teaching. Remember? That is why you two started busting my chops. Because you did not accept the Church’s teaching.
Abeca Christian,
Thank you for *consistently* upholding Church teaching.
k that is a lie..it is you who does not understand church and faith sometimes and it is you who sometimes confuses the heck out of me because of your inconsistency and mixed messages, and lack of knowledge…you usually look up the info but I think that sometimes it doesn’t grow as faith in your heart and that is why you sometimes have false compassion on moral issues for some folks…but who cares…you will continue with your confusion as usual.
Catherine thank you, I do try my best…thank you as well..you have always been consistent and never have you left me concerned or never have you flip flopped or even undermined anyone who was posting the truth. God bless you for your faithfulness and honesty.
I ask God to bless both of you and to lead us all into his truth. I double checked in the archives to see if I was remembering wrong but no I was not and I did not lie.
Catherine this one is a tough one…God have mercy on us all.
K I question your perception of things….but that is how you come across to us…it’s all there… but of course, if you live a lie then you will not see right….
The few faithful who post here?
A good scientific web site is: “ENDOWMENT for HUMAN DEVELOPMENT”.
Please pass it on.
In addition, the CCC (Catechism) has a section on the proper use of the public media.