Catholic school officials partake in ALS challenge despite warning

The superintendent of Catholic Schools and Elder High Schools principal took part in the 'ice bucket challenge' on Thursday, but the money is going to a different organization that's fighting Lou Gehrig's disease.

Officials said the Archdiocese sent out a statement discouraging Catholics from participating because the challenge benefits the ALS Association, which uses embryonic stem cell research.

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The association has raised $41.8 million in donations since videos of the ice-bucket stunt began appearing on the Internet July 29, up from $2.1 million over the same period last year.

Archdiocese of Cincinnati spokesman Dan Andriacco said the challenge itself is fine, but money sent to the association funds at least one study using embryonic stem cells. An embryo must be destroyed to harvest its stem cells, and many Catholics relate that to abortion.

"We certainly appreciate the compassion that has caused people all over the country, certainly including many Catholics, to be interacting and engaging in a fun way to support ALS research,"Andriacco said Thursday. "But it's a well-established moral principle that not only the ends be good, but the means must be good, too."

Instead, the money raised from Thursdays challenge will go toward the John Paul the Second Medical Research Institute, which only conducts research on adult stem cells.

We stand here in support of and to raise awareness for those whos lives have been touched by this devastating condition, ALS, Catholic school superintendent Jim Riggs said before being doused with ice water.

AP: Diplomats banned from challenge due to ethics issues

Don Clemmer, a spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the group views the Cincinnati diocese's actions as "a local matter" and that his organization has not issued any directives to its bishops discouraging donations to the ALS Association.

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Catholic school officials partake in ALS challenge despite warning