What is the Catholic Church's view on genetic engineering?

Question

What is the Roman Catholic Church's position on cloning and genetic engineering? Their stance on ethical issues such as abortion and euthanasia seem to be more well-known and easier to look up, but I can't find very much on genetic engineering....I read somewhere that the Church disapproves of genetic testing, could anybody give me any more detail, and if you can, some reliable internet/book sources as well?

Answer 1

Definitive Vatican "No" on Human Cloning

Jun. 25, 1997

Vatican (CWN) -- The Pontifical Academy for Life, founded by Pope John Paul II, today issued its "reflections" on the issue of cloning, which amounted to an absolute condemnation of the practice.

The Pontifical Academy described the techniques of cloning-- as described in Nature magazine, based on the recent experience that produced "Dolly" in Scotland-- and noted that 277 attempts had been necessary in order to produce that result. Along with that cavalier treatment of living beings, the Academy also raised the issue of possible mutations, which become a real prospect as scientists fiddle with the genetic code of organisms.

Pointing out that it is "impossible to duplicate the soul," the Academy lists the ethical reasons that make cloning of humans completely unacceptable: the radical manipulation of human procreation; the exploitation of women in breeding; the industrial approach to production of human beings; the perverse complication of relations between family members; and the destruction of living embryos which is always a factor in cloning process.

The Pontifical Academy added that along with an absolute ban on the production of human children by cloning, society should also ban "the cloning of a fetal embryo" for experimental purposes. (The latter possibility was not prohibited in the recommendations offered by presidential panel in the United States.) The Pontifical Academy concluded that the effort to stop human cloning should be a high priority "in cultural, social, and legislative terms."

"The Church occupies herself with the dignity of man, the defense of life." And in that realm, he emphasized, "it is not permissible to manipulate God's will."

"If the research allows the elimination of hunger or certain diseases, that is welcome," conceded Cardinal Ratzinger-- although he pointed out that to date there is no assurance of such progress. But then he drew a clear line: "The sanctity of life is untouchable."

Answer 2

If you Google it you will find various resources with specific information. But, the Catholic Church has a stance that opposes genetic engineering (stem cell research). The belief that Catholics hold is that life is sacred and ought to not be mettled with by people (i.e. people shouldn't 'play God'.) Humans are said to posses immortal souls, which cannot be created by anyone other than God. That's the overall general concept. Where the subject runs into gray area is that those whom oppose stem-cell research give genetic engingeering far more credit than it deserves. As it is now, there is no science that has the ability to genetically create humans, or anything close. Science has genetically cloned sheep, but science hasn't even been able to clone a monkey, much less a human. Moreover, genetic engineering is not looking to create humans, the purpose behind genetic engineering is for medical purposes (i.e. grow a heart, and other organs). Hardly playing God, at least no more than performing a heart transplant could be considered playing God (i.e. metteling in the natural course of life.). There is a valid position in that humans are not at liberty to create life. And others who oppose genetic engineering don't do so ought of a beleif that people shouldn't be taking God's sole right to be the creator of life, but because they feel it will only benefit the wealthy, and the lower and middle class would be left out. Moreover, wealthy people could afford to have a medical procedure in which the DNA of a developing fetus could be altered for better gentotypical and phenortypical features. Say a couple wants a baby with blond hair and blue eyes, if the sicence were to one day be develped, those who could afford it could pay for such a procedure. Then what is created is a higher hybrid series of humans; those who are genetically perfect, and those who are as God made them.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

The Catholic Church has the highest regard for human life and human dignity from the beginning of life (at conception) until natural death.

Human cloning, that is the creation of a human embryo through scientific means, does injury to the dignity of humanity. Will these children be brought up in loving families or treated as laboratory experiments?

Every human being is entitled to human rights including cloned human embryos. If created, they should be treated with the same rights and respect of any other human being as a child of God.

The Catholic Church is not just against cloning, it is pro-life in the widest sense. This is often called a "Consistent Ethic of Life."

This pro-life stance stresses the highest regard for dignity of human life including that of:
- All people in objecting to unjust war and nuclear arms.
- The unborn in objecting to to abortion, in fitro fertilization, frozen embryos, embryonic stem cell research, and cloning
- The elderly, sick and dying in objecting to assisted suicide and euthanazia
- Prisoners in objecting to the death penalty
- The poor and minorities in supporting social justice issues.

With love in Christ.

Answer 5

The Catholic Church is so far from reality, so you can bet that they are against it, as they are against everything. You'll also notice they constantly focus on problems and things that are bad (like all the suffering poor people out there) and complaining about the problem rather than being grateful for what we have. My question to you is, who care if the Catholic Church is against genetic engineering?

Answer 6

The church is in total agreement as long as genetic engineering runs on solar energy!

Answer 7

Put it this way, would it advance science and possibly end up benefitting the human race in the long term?

I may be painting it pretty black, but the catholic view always seems to be that of forbidding everything that could help folks. Birth control, abortion (sticky one that for sure), stem cell research etc so yep it's likely to be forbidden.

Answer 8

Yay! Let's clone the Pope!

Answer 9

they are definetly agains it