Archbishop's Words on Cloning Prompt Government Probe

Perth, Jun. 7, 2007 (CWNews.com) - An Australian lawmaker has called for a parliamentary investigation of a Catholic archbishop who warned politicians against voting to support therapeutic cloning.

Fred Riebeling, the speaker of the legislative assembly of West Australian, said that he wanted to question Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth. The archbishop had said that Catholic legislators should not receive Communion if they voted for the cloning bill.

Riebeling said that the archbishop's public statement was a threat against members of parliament. "He has said he didn't make a threat," the assembly speaker said. "I think he's the only person in Australia that doesn't think that."