Even some Catholics who are opposed to the use of embryos in research felt that
excommunication was too strong a sanction. "If we're defending the principle that
human life should not be touched, it should not be done in a punitive, castigatory or
burn-in-hell sort of way," said Paola Binetti, a leading Catholic politician here.
The specification of the punishment for embryonic stem cell research was partly
needed so the church could catch up with advances in science.