National Mirror
Called to Witness
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Date: Wed, Apr 07, 2010
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Papers, Publications & Reports
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New Instruction on Certain Bioethical Questions
Author(s): Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Language: English
Price: Price: Kshs. 65.00
Abstract
Human history attests to the fact that human beings have abused and can continue to abuse God given powers and capabilities. It is against this background that the Church’s Magisterium, in view of recent biomedical technologies particularly in the area of human life and the family, has deemed it necessary to issue the Instruction Dignitas Personae (dignity of a person). Indeed biomedical research, while bringing positive gains is also prone to abuse.
The current Instruction updates and clarifies certain issues in the 1987 Instruction Donum Vitae which stressed that the human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception to natural death, his/her rights as a person recognized, beginning with the inviolable right to life. “… the fruit of human generation, from the first moment of its existence, that is to say, from the moment the zygote has formed, demands the unconditional respect that is morally due to the human being in his bodily and spiritual totality.”
This new Instruction is divided into three parts. The first part recalls some anthropological, theological and ethical elements relating to human life and to procreation. It acknowledges scientific progress made in recent decades towards understanding the early stages of human life and calls for support of such progress insofar as it helps “to overcome or correct pathologies.” However, such progress ought to be opposed when it involves the destruction of human beings or contradicts their dignity and integral good. Further, it emphasizes that marriage is the authentic context for the transmission of human life.
The second part addresses new problems concerning procreation namely; techniques of assisting fertility. It instructs that these techniques are licit when they are aimed at removing obstacles to natural fertilization for instance unblocking of fallopian tubes or their surgical repair, hormonal treatments for infertility, etc. These particular techniques are morally permissible because they act as aids to the conjugal act and its fertility. However when the employed techniques substitute for the conjugal act they are illicit. Medical treatment for infertility MUST therefore respect the unity of marriage, the right to life and to physical integrity of every human being at all stages of life as well as the human values of sexuality. This part of the Instruction goes on to recommend adoption for infertile couples and says it should be “encouraged, promoted and facilitated by appropriate legislation….” because it will also provide homes to many children who lack parents.
Part three presents new treatments involving the manipulation of the embryos and the human genetic patrimony and shades light on what is licit and what is illicit. It examines gene therapy, human cloning, use of stem cells and attempts at hybridization.
Seeking to assist in the formation of conscience, the Instruction Dignitas Personae urges the Christian faithful to
commit themselves to the energetic promotion of a new culture of life by receiving the contents of this Instruction with the religious assent of their spirit… In addition, all persons of good will understand and agree with these principles and judgements, which seek to safeguard the vulnerable condition of human beings in the first stages of life and to promote a more human civilization.
As we strive to adhere to the teaching of the Church (Mother and Teacher) it is crucial that we fully understand the reasons behind her teaching. That is why this new Instruction is a must read!
No. of pages: 35; Available at Catholic Bookshop
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