New Roman Catholic Church Document Equates IVF, Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis With 'Sin Of Abortion'

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Fertility;  Genetics
Article Date: 15 Dec 2008 - 2:00 PST

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The Roman Catholic Church on Friday released a new document that condemns efforts by infertile couples to adopt or implant frozen embryos, saying that such methods are equally immoral as destroying embryos for stem cell research, USA Today reports. The document, titled "Dignitas Personae (Human Dignity): On Certain Bioethical Questions," states, "The desire for a child cannot justify the 'production' of offspring, just as the desire not to have a child cannot justify the abandonment or destruction of a child once he or she has been conceived." It adds that diagnosing embryos for diseases or genetic flaws before implantation is "shameful and reprehensible" and that such techniques, like prescribing or using contraception that prevents implantation, lead to "the sin of abortion." The document does not offer a clear solution for what to do with currently frozen embryos, which it says "represent a situation of injustice which in fact cannot be resolved."

The document updates and expands prior church teachings on contraception and reproduction. The new statement is the first authoritative document on biomedical reproductive technologies signed by a pope since 1987, USA Today reports. John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said, "Back then, we didn't have 500,000 frozen embryos. No one was talking about embryonic stem cell research or pre-implantation embryonic diagnosis." According to Haas, some Catholics might be surprised by the church's stance against IVF and embryo adoption because "most Catholics believe the church wants them to have a lot of children." Steve Bozza, an outreach worker at the Diocese of Camden, N.J., who advises infertile couples, said Catholic couples "probably know the church's teachings, but the pain people suffer when they can't conceive causes them to turn inward." He added, "The church is the last place they go. They go to their physicians, who offer them immoral choices." Richard Doerflinger, head of antiabortion-rights activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the church is "not imposing a Catholic vision on America" but is "offering a more human vision" (Grossman, USA Today, 12/12).

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