Senior members of the Catholic church have called on their parishoners to probe candidates on their views on human cloning, embyro research abortion and euthansia.

Launching a "manifesto" for the coming election, the Catholic bishops urge voters to close the "moral chasm" which exists across the political divide.

In the pamphlet entitled "Vote for the Common Good" they say voters should based their decisions about which party to vote for based on individual candidates' views on key moral issues.

The Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, called on the church's supporters to back the stance.

"A moral chasm has been opened up in British society by recent legislation which denies human lives the value that is inherently theirs by the gift of God. The statement issued today by the Bishops Conference of England and Wales puts forward key principles by which moral issues are to be examined and choices made," he said.

"I urge voters to question their prospective parliamentary candidate about their moral views, not only about our response to world poverty and the arms race, but also regarding embryo experimentation, human cloning, abortion and euthanasia."

A separate document will be published by the Catholic church in Scotland.