SYDNEY Catholic Archbishop Cardinal George Pell has won a $120,000 prize for his strong stand against abortion. Cardinal Pell, an outspoken opponent of abortion, is the first recipient of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul's The Mysterium Vitae (Mystery of Life) Grand Prix award.
Cardinal Pell said the award's prize money of about $120,000 would be used to fund pro-life initiatives.
"Discriminating against individuals or destroying human life on the grounds of race, sex, religion, disability, illness, or stage of development is not only a grave injustice - it also undermines human rights and social justice, and makes the task of building good societies harder," he said in a statement.
He received the award from Archbishop of Seoul Cardinal Nicholas Cheong in front of more than 400 people at a ceremony in central Seoul last night.
A statement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said Cardinal Pell was given the award for his pro-life stance in public debates, founding the Australian campus of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family, and the establishment of a $100,000 grant to support adult stem cell research in Australia.
He was also recognised for the establishment of "life offices" in Melbourne and Sydney and a support service for pregnant women in Sydney.
In 2005, Cardinal Cheong committed $US10 million towards the establishment of the Catholic Institute of Cell Therapy in Seoul to support adult stem cell research.
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