Messages In This Digest (1 Message)
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- CHRISTMAS, UNDER DURESS......... By Don Reed From: Stephen Meyer
Message
- 1.
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CHRISTMAS, UNDER DURESS......... By Don Reed
Posted by: "Stephen Meyer" Stephen276@comcast.net stephen_meyer_stemcells
Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:54 am (PST)
CHRISTMAS, UNDER DURESS
by Don C. Reed
I went to my Grandson's Christmas program last night.
Gloria, beloved wife of almost 40 years, goes to church at least once a
week, without fail.
I go when forced by societal pressures, i.e. Gloria. Roman Junior goes
to a Catholic school, so I go if it is something to do with him, plus
the Mrs. always muscles me into a Christmas religious service of some
kind or other.
Technically, I felt, I had already done my Christmas obligation.
Last week, Gloria put on a small dinner for the homeless. Our local
church provides a place to sleep for about four families down on their
luck. Gloria purchased multiple pizzas, sent her husband to purloin
oranges off our neighbor's tree, arranged cupcakes from a friend,
made homemade guacamole dip and cut up bread strips to dip with, as well
as providing bottled drinks and items of the vegetable persuasion.
I thought there would be a lot of people involved in the providing part
of the dinner, but there wasn't. It was just us.
When we came in the door, a woman looked up and said: "Did you bring
the dinner?"
I thought: what if we had forgot? Would they have eaten?
There were about eight children.
One man, well-dressed, studied his shoes. Beside him were two little
girls. Their hair was tied up in bows. I said hello, shook hands, he
introduced his children proudly. I did not see a mom. What if I was a
single parent, with two little girls to care for?
Gloria took command as usual, lining everyone up like she was in the
military.
"No, just one piece of pizza till everybody gets served!"
"What, pizza again?" I heard somebody say.
The women hustled the children over, to make sure they were fed before
the food was gone. They ate everything we brought and I wished there was
more. Just one piece of pizza, for the main dish?
But it was something, and the Catholic Church had made it possible,
encouraging parishioners like Gloria to help with food, while the Church
provided shelter and also some real-life helps like job hunting
assistance.
On the one hand Gloria's church is the epitome of charity; on the
other, the Pope's narrow-minded and anti-scientific views (if
listened to) would condemn millions to lives of needless suffering.
A former member of the Hitler Youth, Pope Benedict (formerly Joseph
Ratzinger) may be over-reacting to his Nazi past. Probably all
German-Americans are at least somewhat embarrassed about the horrible
cruelties inflicted by the nation from which their ancestors sprang (I
am half German on my mother's side, her Schneider family name
changed to Snyder) and the Pope makes stem cell research sound like the
Nazi science of eugenics, trying for the "master race", which is
total nonsense. Trying to cure people's misery is a whole lot
different than trying to create a bunch of Hitler mini-monsters.
Have you read the Pope's latest statement on bioethics? It is 32
pages long, and was created by a Church council which he led before
becoming Pope.
If you want to read the statement, a condensed version follows. it says:
The document … expressly approved by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict
XVI…is to be received by Catholics "with the religious assent of
their spirit" (Dignitas personae, n. 37).
In other words, you cannot even disagree in your own mind, let alone
argue about it
Stem cell research is life and death important to me.
And under the current Pope, almost every form of advanced stem cell
research is forbidden.
Sure, there was a little disclaimer: "The Church, by expressing an
ethical judgment on some developments of recent medical research
concerning man and his beginnings, does not intervene in the area proper
to medical science itself…" (emphasis added)
The truth is the Church will intervene and control exactly as much as it
can get away with. In Italy, the Pope's word is pretty much law. In
the United Nations, robed priests went with Bush Administration
officials to put pressure on small countries to ban Somatic Cell Nuclear
Transfer (SCNT, sometimes called therapeutic cloning), trying to
criminalize it throughout the world. They failed, but not through lack
of trying.
From Michigan to Missouri, the Catholic Church has mounted full-force
political efforts to block embryonic stem cell research.
But there was one line in the Pope's statement, which gave me hope
for the day when the Church will inevitably reconsider its stance, as it
has done in the matter of x-rays, small-pox vaccine, anesthesia, and
many other medical advances, initially opposed.
"…danger to the health of children could permit parents to use a
vaccine which was developed using cell lines of illicit origin…"
That was a loophole, perhaps, which might one day be used to alter a
mistaken policy.
Because what parent would not consider cure for a child, dying?
I remembered where my grandson got his middle name.
When Rome was four years old, he had a friend named Jacob, who was
eight. Roman and he used to throw a football around, and Jacob was
always patient and kind.
But he contracted leukemia, and there was no cure. His parents did the
best they could for him, but the pain grew worse and worse. I visited
him one time, and brought my old Marine World slide show along, and told
him about the sharks and dolphins, and for a little while the lines of
pain eased on his face. But then the stories ended, and the pain sank in
again.
Roman told him, when he grew up, if he ever had a son, he would name him
after Jacob.
After many months of struggle, Jacob told his mother, he did not want to
go on any more. And she held him in her arms as he let go, and died.
Our son remembered the promise, which was how Roman Jacob Reed got his
name.
I thought about a rally I attended, a march against cancer, put on by
Assemblymember John Dutra, original sponsor of the Roman Reed Spinal
Cord Injury Research Act, and a devout Catholic. He had let me speak at
the event, and of course I spoke strongly about stem cell research,
therapeutic cloning, embryonic stem cell research, how it had nothing to
do with making babies and everything to do with making cures-- the whole
nine yards.
Afterwards, two little nuns came over to speak with me. I got a little
frightened--
oh, no, I am in for it now—because how can you argue with a nun?
But the older nun said, quite firmly:
"We wanted you to know, we support the research."
The second nun nodded, and smiled.
Like the 72% of American Catholics who support embryonic stem cell
research, she had made up her own mind.
My knee was hurting, so I had to stand up for a while. We there almost
an hour early, sigh… I went out in the lobby, and there were many
pamphlets and brochures. I did not thumb through them, knowing if I
found anything about stem cell research, I would not like it. I
remembered the 32 page document, which talked about opposing research
because it lessens the "dignity" of humankind—where is the
dignity in loss of bowel and bladder control? Where is the dignity in
losing one's mind to Alzheimer's?
Gloria always tells me, the Pope is a man, and people make mistakes.
But this is such a powerful man, and the mistake is so enormous!
I went and sat down again, my stomach in knots.
Then the children filed in.
And began to sing.
As a lover of music, some of it was legitimately painful to my ears.
These were just regular kids, everybody in the school, and some did not
quite grasp the concept of following notes. At one point I suppressed a
groan and muttered something to Gloria, in what I thought was the
softest of whispers. She elbowed me sharply, indicating with a jerk of
her head that one of the children's fathers was the enthusiastic
cameraman directly to our left.
But then it was our grandson's turn to walk up on stage. Roman Jacob
Reed Part Two, son of our son. Roman senior was beaming in the back.
Mom Terri and Jason were home taking care of our new puppy.
All the children sang. Most of the pieces (mercifully) were short.
But the music director harbored ambitions.
As I glanced at the program, I felt my eyes widen.
The last number was-- the Hallelujah Chorus, from Handel's Messiah?
Handel's Messiah has been called the greatest piece of music in the
world. It is also genuinely difficult to sing right, even for trained
professionals.
I knew from experience, having massacred the piece myself, decades ago,
in the choir of the church I attended before marrying Gloria. It took
months of preparation and rehearsal, every one of us had a musical
background-- and even then we barely survived.
And these little kids—regular normal kids off the street-- were
going to attempt the Hallelujah Chorus?
Now. The most important two notes in that song are the first one, and
the last. You have to start off STRONG-- The "Haaa" in Haleluja
has to be a full-throated bellow, a shout-- and finish with a cutoff
note that is clean and sharp, abdominal power, and control.
The conductor raised her baton—the audience held its breath—
And then it came.
"HAAA-lay-loo-ya! HAAA-lay-loo- ya!"
As if by Christmas magic, power descended on those children's
voices. It was like a second choir, and every child was caught up in the
joy, faces bright as Christmas candles.
They sang the complicated parts, Halleluja, hallelujah,
hall-lay-ay-loo-ya!",
when one group sings one thing, and another group does something else,
And He shall reign forever, and ev--" while a third group sings
another Halleluja altogether-- and every word has to be heard, and every
note singularly appreciated.
They nailed it. It was plainly impossible, but they were kids and did
not know it was impossible, and so they did it anyway, good and loud,
going for it on every single note.
"…Hall-ayyyy—loooo-yaaaaa--! "— they cut off the last note
clean and sharp, and it echoed in the hushed church.
An instant of silence—and then the roar of applause began.
For these, our voices of the future.
May they build a church more open, to the hope of a healthier world.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
ZE08121202 - 2008-12-12
Permalink: http://zenit.org/article- 24541?l=english
Synthesis of Instruction "Dignitas Personae"
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 12, 2008 (Zenit.org <http://www.zenit.org/ > ).- Here
is the synthesis of the instruction "Dignitas Personae" that was
released today by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on
certain bioethical questions. It was published in English, French,
German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.
* * *
Regarding the Instruction Dignitas Personae
Aim
In recent years, biomedical research has made great strides, opening new
possibilities for the treatment of disease, but also giving rise to
serious questions which had not been directly treated in the Instruction
Donum vitae (22 February 1987). A new Instruction, which is dated 8
September 2008, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
seeks to provide some responses to these new bioethical questions, as
these have been the focus of expectations and concerns in large sectors
of society. In this way, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
seeks both to contribute "to the formation of conscience" (n. 10) and to
encourage biomedical research respectful of the dignity of every human
being and of procreation.
Title
The Instruction opens with the words Dignitas personae - the dignity of
a person, which must be recognized in every human being from conception
to natural death. This fundamental principle expresses "a great
`yes' to human life and must be at the center of ethical reflection
on biomedical research" (n. 1).
Value
The document is an Instruction of a doctrinal nature, published by the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and expressly approved by the
Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. The Instruction therefore falls within
the category of documents that "participate in the ordinary Magisterium
of the successor of Peter" (Instruction Donum veritatis, n.18), and is
to be received by Catholics "with the religious assent of their spirit"
(Dignitas personae, n. 37).
Preparation
For several years, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has
been studying new biomedical questions with a view to updating the
Instruction Donum vitae. In undertaking the examination of such new
questions, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith "has benefited
from the analysis of the Pontifical Academy for Life and has consulted
numerous experts with regard to the scientific aspects of these
questions, in order to address them with the principles of Christian
anthropology. The Encyclicals Veritatis splendor and Evangelium vitae of
John Paul II, as well as other interventions of the Magisterium, offer
clear indications with regard to both the method and the content of the
examination of the problems under consideration" (n. 2).
Intended recipients of the document
The Instruction is meant for "all who seek the truth" (n. 3). Indeed, in
presenting principles and moral evaluations regarding biomedical
research on human life, the Catholic Church "draws upon the light both
of reason and of faith and seeks to set forth an integral vision of man
and his vocation, capable of incorporating everything that is good in
human activity, as well as in various cultural and religious traditions
which not infrequently demonstrate a great reverence for life" (n. 3).
Structure
The Instruction has three parts: "the first recalls some
anthropological, theological and ethical elements of fundamental
importance; the second addresses new problems regarding procreation; the
third examines new procedures involving the manipulation of embryos and
the human genetic patrimony" (n. 3).
First Part:
Anthropological, Theological and Ethical Aspects of Human Life and
Procreation
The two fundamental principles
"The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the
moment of conception; and therefore from that same moment his rights as
a person must be recognized, among which in the first place is the
inviolable right of every innocent human being to life" (n. 4). "The
origin of human life has its authentic context in marriage and in the
family, where it is generated through an act which expresses the
reciprocal love between a man and a woman. Procreation which is truly
responsible vis-à-vis the child to be born must be the fruit of
marriage" (n. 6).
Faith and human dignity
"It is the Church's conviction that what is human is not only received
and respected by faith, but is also purified, elevated and perfected"
(n. 7). God has created every human being in his own image, and his Son
has made it possible for us to become children of God. "By taking the
interrelationship of these two dimensions, the human and the divine, as
the starting point, one understands better why it is that man has
unassailable value: he possesses an eternal vocation and is called to
share in the trinitarian love of the living God" (n. 8.).
Faith and married life
"These two dimensions of life, the natural and the supernatural, allow
us to understand better the sense in which the acts that permit a new
human being to come into existence, in which a man and a woman give
themselves to each other, are a reflection of trinitarian love. God, who
is love and life, has inscribed in man and woman the vocation to share
in a special way in his mystery of personal communion and in his work as
Creator and Father... The Holy Spirit who is poured out in the
sacramental celebration offers Christian couples the gift of a new
communion of love that is the living and real image of that unique unity
which makes of the Church the indivisible Mystical Body of the Lord
Jesus" (n. 9).
The Church's Magisterium and the legitimate autonomy of science
"The Church, by expressing an ethical judgment on some developments of
recent medical research concerning man and his beginnings, does not
intervene in the area proper to medical science itself, but rather calls
everyone to ethical and social responsibility for their actions. She
reminds them that the ethical value of biomedical science is gauged in
reference to both the unconditional respect owed to every human being at
every moment of his or her existence, and the defense of the specific
character of the personal act which transmits life" (n. 10).
Second Part:
New Problems Concerning Procreation
Techniques for assisting fertility
Among the procedures which respond to problems of fertility are the
following:
"techniques of heterologous artificial fertilization" (n. 12): that is,
"techniques used to obtain a human conception artificially by the use of
gametes coming from at least one donor other than the spouses who are
joined in marriage" (footnote 22). "techniques of homologous artificial
fertilization" (n. 12): that is, "the technique used to obtain a human
conception using the gametes of the two spouses joined in marriage"
(footnote 23). "techniques which act as an aid to the conjugal act and
its fertility" (n. 12). "techniques aimed at removing obstacles to
natural fertilization" (n. 13). "adoption" (n. 13).
Techniques are morally permissible if they respect: "the right to life
and to physical integrity of every human being", "the unity of marriage,
which means reciprocal respect for the right within marriage to become a
father or mother only together with the other spouse" and "the
specifically human values of sexuality" (n. 12), which require that the
procreation of a new human person come about as a result of the conjugal
act specific to the love between a husband and wife.
Therefore, "techniques which act as an aid to the conjugal act and its
fertility are permitted" (n. 12). In such procedures, the "medical
intervention respects the dignity of persons when it seeks to assist the
conjugal act either in order to facilitate its performance or in order
to enable it to achieve its objective once it has been normally
performed" (n. 12). "Certainly, techniques aimed at removing obstacles
to natural fertilization... are licit" (n. 13). "Adoption should be
encouraged, promoted and facilitated so that the many children who lack
parents may receive a home... In addition, research and investment
directed at the prevention of sterility deserve encouragement (n. 13).
In vitro fertilization and the deliberate destruction of embryos
The experience of recent years has shown that in all techniques of in
vitro fertilization "the number of embryos sacrificed is extremely high"
(n. 14). Even in the most technically advanced centers of artificial
fertilization, the number is above 80% (cf. footnote 27). "Embryos
produced in vitro which have defects are directly discarded"; a
increasing number of couples "are using artificial means of procreation
in order to engage in genetic selection of their offspring"; of the
embryos which are produced in vitro "some are transferred into the
woman's uterus, while the others are frozen"; the technique of multiple
transfer in which "the number of embryos transferred is greater than the
single child desired, in the expectation that some embryos will be
lost... implies a purely utilitarian treatment of embryos" (n. 15).
"The blithe acceptance of the enormous number of abortions involved in
the process of in vitro fertilization vividly illustrates how the
replacement of the conjugal act by a technical procedure...leads to a
weakening of the respect owed to every human being. Recognition of such
respect is, on the other hand, promoted by the intimacy of husband and
wife nourished by married love... In the face of this manipulation of
the human being in his or her embryonic state, it needs to be repeated
that God's love does not differentiate between the newly conceived
infant still in his or her mother's womb and the child or young person,
or the adult and the elderly person. God does not distinguish between
them because he sees an impression of his own image and likeness..
Therefore, the Magisterium of the Church has constantly proclaimed the
sacred and inviolable character of every human life from its conception
until its natural end" (n. 16).
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a variety of in vitro procreation in
which fertilization in the test tube does not simply "take place on its
own, but rather by means of the injection into the oocyte of a single
sperm, selected earlier, or by the injection of immature germ cells
taken from the man" (footnote 32).
This technique, which is morally illicit, causes a complete separation
between procreation and the conjugal act" (n. 17). It takes place
"outside the bodies of the couple through actions of third parties whose
competence and technical activity determine the success of the
procedure. Such fertilization entrusts the life and identity of the
embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the
domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human
person" (n. 17).
Freezing embryos
"In order to avoid repeatedly taking oocytes from the woman's body, the
process involves a single intervention in which multiple oocytes are
taken, followed by cryopreservation of a considerable number of the
embryos conceived in vitro. In this way, should the initial attempt at
achieving pregnancy not succeed, the procedure can be repeated or
additional pregnancies attempted at a later date" (n. 18). The freezing
or cryopreservation of embryos "refers to freezing them at extremely low
temperatures, allowing long term storage" (cf. footnote 35).
"Cryopreservation is incompatible with the respect owed to human
embryos; it presupposes their production in vitro; it exposes them to
the serious risk of death or physical harm, since a high percentage does
not survive the process of freezing and thawing; it deprives them at
least temporarily of maternal reception and gestation; it places them in
a situation in which they are susceptible to further offense and
manipulation" (n. 18).
With regard to the large number of frozen embryos already in existence
the question becomes: what to do with them? All the answers that have
been proposed (use the embryos for research or for the treatment of
disease; thaw them without reactivating them and use them for research,
as if they were normal cadavers; put them at the disposal of infertile
couples as a "treatment for infertility"; allow a form of "prenatal
adoption") present real problems of various kinds. It needs to be
recognized "that the thousands of abandoned embryos represent a
situation of injustice which in fact cannot be resolved. Therefore, John
Paul II made an "appeal to the conscience of the world's scientific
authorities and in particular to doctors, that the production of human
embryos be halted, taking into account that there seems to be no morally
licit solution regarding the human destiny of the thousands and
thousands of `frozen' embryos which are and remain the subjects of
essential rights and should therefore be protected by law as human
persons" (n. 19).
The freezing of oocytes
"In order avoid the serious ethical problems posed by the freezing of
embryos, the freezing of oocytes has also been advanced in the area of
techniques of in vitro fertilization" (n. 20).
In this regard it needs to be stated that while the cryopreservation of
oocytes is not in itself immoral, and is employed in other medical
contexts which are not the subject of this document, when it takes place
"for the purpose of being used in artificial procreation" it is "to be
considered morally unacceptable" (n. 20).
The reduction of embryos
"Some techniques used in artificial procreation, above all the transfer
of multiple embryos into the mother's womb, have caused a significant
increase in the frequency of multiple pregnancy. This situation gives
rise in turn to the practice of so-called embryo reduction, a procedure
in which embryos or fetuses in the womb are directly exterminated" (n.
21).
"From the ethical point of view, embryo reduction is an intentional
selective abortion. It is in fact the deliberate and direct elimination
of one or more innocent human beings in the initial phase of their
existence and as such it always constitutes a grave moral disorder" (n.
21).
Preimplantation diagnosis
"Preimplantation diagnosis is a form of prenatal diagnosis connected
with techniques of artificial fertilization in which embryos formed in
vitro undergo genetic diagnosis before being transferred into a woman's
womb. Such diagnosis is done in order to ensure that only embryos free
from defects or having the desired sex or other particular qualities are
transferred" (n. 22).
"Unlike other forms of prenatal diagnosis..., diagnosis before
implantation is immediately followed by the elimination of an embryo
suspected of having genetic or chromosomal defects, or not having the
sex desired, or having other qualities that are not wanted.
Preimplantation diagnosis...is directed toward the qualitative selection
and consequent destruction of embryos, which constitutes an act of
abortion... By treating the human embryo as mere `laboratory
material', the concept itself of human dignity is also subjected to
alteration and discrimination...Such discrimination is immoral and must
therefore be considered legally unacceptable..." (n. 22).
New forms of interception and contragestation
There are methods of preventing pregnancy which act after fertilization,
when the embryo is already constituted.
"Such methods are interceptive if they interfere with the embryo before
implantation" (n. 23); for example, the IUD (intrauterine device) and
the so-called `morning-after pills' (footnote 42). They are
"contragestative if they cause the elimination of the embryo once
implanted" (n. 23); for example, the pharmaceutical known commercially
as RU-486 (footnote 43).
Even if such interceptives may not cause an abortion every time they are
used, also because conception does not occur after every act of sexual
intercourse, it must be noted, however, that "anyone who seeks to
prevent the implantation of an embryo which may possibly have been
conceived and who therefore either requests or prescribes such a
pharmaceutical, generally intends abortion". In the case of
contragestatives "what takes place in reality is the abortion of an
embryo which has just implanted... the use of means of interception and
contragestation fall within the sin of abortion and are gravely immoral"
(n. 23).
Third Part:
New Treatments which Involve the Manipulation of
the Embryo or the Human Genetic Patrimony
Gene therapy
Gene therapy commonly refers to "techniques of genetic engineering
applied to human beings for therapeutic purposes, that is to say, with
the aim of curing genetically based diseases" (n. 25).
Somatic cell gene therapy "seeks to eliminate or reduce genetic defects
on the level of somatic cells" (n. 25). Germ line cell therapy aims "at
correcting genetic defects present in germ line cells with the purpose
of transmitting the therapeutic effects to the offspring of the
individual" (n. 25).
From the ethical point of view:
Procedures used on somatic cells for strictly therapeutic purposes "are
in principle morally licit...Given that gene therapy can involve
significant risks for the patient, the ethical principle must be
observed according to which, in order to proceed to a therapeutic
intervention, it is necessary to establish beforehand that the person
being treated will not be exposed to risks to his health or physical
integrity which are excessive or disproportionate to the gravity of the
pathology for which a cure is sought. The informed consent of the
patient or his legitimate representative is also required" (n. 26). With
regard to germ line cell therapy, "the risks connected to any genetic
manipulation are considerable and as yet not fully controllable" and
therefore "in the present state of research, it is not morally
permissible to act in a way that may cause possible harm to the
resulting progeny" (n. 26). ith regard to the possibility of using
techniques of genetic engineering to introduce alterations with the
presumed aim of improving and strengthening the gene pool, it must be
observed that such interventions would promote a "eugenic mentality" and
would introduce an "indirect social stigma with regard to people who
lack certain qualities, while privileging qualities that happen to be
appreciated by a certain culture or society; such qualities do not
constitute what is specifically human. This would be in contrast with
the fundamental truth of the equality of all human beings which is
expressed in the principle of justice, the violation of which, in the
long run, would harm peaceful coexistence among individuals... Finally
it must also be noted that in the attempt to create a new type of human
being one can recognize an ideological element in which man tries to
take the place of his Creator" (n. 27).
Human cloning
Human cloning refers to "the asexual or agametic reproduction of the
entire human organism in order to produce one or more `copies'
which, from a genetic perspective, are substantially identical to the
single original" (n. 28). The techniques which have been proposed for
accomplishing human cloning are artificial embryo twinning, which
"consists in the artificial separation of individual cells or groups of
cells from the embryo in the earliest stage of development... which are
then transferred into the uterus in order to obtain identical embryos in
an artificial manner" (footnote 47) and cell nuclear transfer, which
"consists in introducing a nucleus taken from an embryonic or somatic
cell into an denucleated oocyte. This is followed by stimulation of the
oocyte so that it begins to develop as an embryo" (footnote 47). Cloning
is proposed for two basic purposes: reproduction, that is, in order to
obtain the birth of a baby, and medical therapy or research.
Human cloning is "intrinsically illicit in that...it seeks to give rise
to a new human being without a connection to the act of reciprocal
self-giving between the spouses and, more radically, without any link to
sexuality. This leads to manipulation and abuses gravely injurious to
human dignity" (n. 28).
With regard to reproductive cloning, "this would impose on the resulting
individual a predetermined genetic identity, subjecting him - as has
been stated - to a form of biological slavery, from which it would be
difficult to free himself. The fact that someone would arrogate to
himself the right to determine arbitrarily the genetic characteristics
of another person represents a grave offence to the dignity of that
person as well as to the fundamental equality of all people... In the
encounter with another person, we meet a human being who owes his
existence and his proper characteristics to the love of God, and only
the love of husband and wife constitutes a mediation of that love in
conformity with the plan of the Creator and heavenly Father" (n. 29).
With regard to cloning for medical therapy or research, it must be said
that to "create embryos with the intention of destroying them, even with
the intention of helping the sick, is completely incompatible with human
dignity, because it makes the existence of a human being at the
embryonic stage nothing more than a means to be used and destroyed. It
is gravely immoral to sacrifice a human life for therapeutic ends" (n.
30). As an alternative to therapeutic cloning some researchers have
proposed new techniques which are presented as capable of producing stem
cells of an embryonic type without implying the destruction of true
human embryos, for example, by altered nuclear transfer (ANT) or oocyte
assisted reprogramming (OAR). Doubts still remain, however, "regarding
the ontological status of the `product' obtained in this way" (n.
30).
The therapeutic use of stem cells
"Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with two basic characteristics:
a) the prolonged capability of multiplying themselves while maintaining
the undifferentiated state; b) the capability of producing transitory
progenitor cells from which fully differentiated cells descend, for
example, nerve cells, muscle cells and blood cells. Once it was
experimentally verified that when stem cells are transplanted into
damaged tissue they tend to promote cell growth and the regeneration of
the tissue, new prospects opened for regenerative medicine, which have
been the subject of great interest among researchers throughout the
world" (n. 31).
For the ethical evaluation, it is necessary above all to consider the
methods of obtaining stem cells.
"Methods which do not cause serious harm to the subject from whom the
stem cells are taken are to be considered licit. This is generally the
case when tissues are taken from: a) an adult organism; b) the blood of
the umbilical cord at the time of birth; c) fetuses who have died of
natural causes" (n. 32). "The obtaining of stem cells from a living
human embryo...invariably causes the death of the embryo and is
consequently gravely illicit... In this case, research...is not truly at
the service of humanity. In fact, this research advances through the
suppression of human lives that are equal in dignity to the lives of
other human individuals and to the lives of the researchers themselves"
(n. 32). "The use of embryonic stem cells or differentiated cells
derived from them - even when these are provided by other researchers
through the destruction of embryos or when such cells are commercially
available - presents serious problems from the standpoint of cooperation
in evil and scandal" (n. 32).
Numerous studies, however, have shown that adult stem cells give more
positive results than embryonic stem cells.
Attempts at hybridization
"Recently animal oocytes have been used for reprogramming the nuclei of
human somatic cells... in order to extract embryonic stem cells from the
resulting embryos without having to use human oocytes" (n. 33).
"From the ethical standpoint, such procedures represent an offense
against the dignity of human beings on account of the admixture of human
and animal genetic elements capable of disrupting the specific identity
of man" (n. 33).
The use of human "biological material" of illicit origin
For scientific research and for the production of vaccines or other
products, cell lines are at times used which are the result of an
illicit intervention against the life or physical integrity of a human
being.
Experimentation on human embryos "constitutes a crime against their
dignity as human beings who have a right to the same respect owed to a
child once born, just as to every person. These forms of experimentation
always constitute a grave moral disorder" (n. 34). With regard to the
use of "biological material" of illicit origin by researchers, which has
been produced apart from their research center or which has been
obtained commercially, the moral requirement "must be safeguarded that
there be no complicity in deliberate abortion and that the risk of
scandal be avoided. In this regard, the criterion of independence as it
has been formulated by some ethics committees is not sufficient.
According to this criterion, the use of `biological material' of
illicit origin would be ethically permissible provided there is a clear
separation between those who, on the one hand, produce, freeze and cause
the death of embryos and, on the other, the researchers involved in
scientific experimentation". It needs to be remembered that the "duty to
refuse to use such `biological material' springs from the necessity
to remove oneself, within the area of one's own research, from a gravely
unjust legal situation and to affirm with clarity the value of human
life. Therefore, the above-mentioned criterion of independence is
necessary, but may be ethically insufficient" (n. 35). "Of course,
within this general picture there exist differing degrees of
responsibility. Grave reasons may be morally proportionate to justify
the use of such `biological material'. Thus, for example, danger to
the health of children could permit parents to use a vaccine which was
developed using cell lines of illicit origin, while keeping in mind that
everyone has the duty to make known their disagreement and to ask that
their healthcare system make other types of vaccines available.
Moreover, in organizations where cell lines of illicit origin are being
utilized, the responsibility of those who make the decision to use them
is not the same as that of those who have no voice in such a decision"
(n. 35).
(end—DR)
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