Religion, Catholic

THE STANCE OF the Catholic Church on embryonic stem cell research is aligned with its opposition to abortion, artificial contraception, and most forms of assisted reproductive technologies. Despite the potential therapeutic benefits of using stem cells in treating many human diseases, the Catholic Church unambiguously opposes embryonic stem cell research using human embryos and finds it to be unethical because embryonic stem cell research leaves the embryo unviable. The Catholic Church strongly believes that all life must be protected and defines life as beginning at the moment of conception. Catholic documents and statements on cloning, stem cell research, and reproductive technologies all attempt to walk a fine line in their depiction of science and technology. They affirm that scientific endeavors will result in appropriate therapeutic applications but they want to ensure that science and technology are always seen to be in service of humanity. In the view of the Church, when embryos become tools or objects of scientific study, not only has humanity harmed those particular embryos but it has also assaulted all those associated with being defenseless and weak. This key consequence of embryonic research is why the Catholic Church does support adult stem cell research. In adult stem cell research, sources for cells are adults, children, umbilical cords, and cadavers; this technique does not require the embryos to be destroyed.

The embryo is not to be destroyed or seen as disposable tissue that can be used in research as any other tissue might be. Nor should such embryos be [Page 456]generated specifically for research purposes. This, of course, is possible, given the technology of in vitro fertilization. The Vatican Instruction Donum Vitae states that although it is not the right of every couple to have a child, every child conceived has the right to be carried to term and raised within marriage.

On August 9, 2001, President George W. Bush's announcement to allow the federal government to fund research on 64 lines of embryonic stem cells that had already been destroyed and obtained from in vitro fertilization clinics caused concern about science and ethics among commentators, religious leaders, scientists, and members of the public. The main concern was about whether it would be moral and ethical to destroy every early embryo or any vaccine or tissue generated from these human embryonic stem cells.

On July 23, 2001, Pope John Paul II articulated his views by saying, “Experience is already showing how a tragic coarsening of consciences accompanies the assault on innocent human life in the womb, leading to accommodation and acquiescence in the face of other related evils such as euthanasia, infanticide and, most recently, proposals for the creation for research purposes of human embryos, destined to be destroyed in the process.” The pope also called for the United States to show the world that we can be masters—and not products—of technology.

Bishop Joseph A. Firenze, who was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2001, also responded to the stem cell proposal: “However, the trade—off [Bush] has announced is morally unacceptable: The federal government, for the first time in history, will support research that relies on the destruction of some defenseless human beings for the possible benefit to others. However, such a decision is hedged about with qualification, it allows our nation's research enterprise to cultivate disrespect for human life. The President's policy may therefore prove to be as unworkable as it is morally wrong, ultimately serving only those whose goal is unlimited embryo research.”

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