Suzanne Scorsone in Antigonish, N.S.On November 10, 2004, Dr. Suzanne Scorsone, the spokeswoman for the Toronto archdiocese, addressed a group of students at St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, N.S. on "Reproductive Technologies and the Law: Questions for the Thoughtful Catholic," (The Atlantic Catholic, Nov. 27, 2004). She told her audience that Bill C-6, the Reproductive Technologies Bill which included embryonic stem cell Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo known as a blastocyst. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4-5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50-150 cells. ES cells are pluripotent. research and which was passed by Parliament in March of 2004, was worthy of support despite its flaws. Clare Lazzuri reported for The Atlantic Catholic that Dr. Scorsone's support for Bill C-6 "was strongly based on the fact that without this flawed legislation, the alternative is a vacuum on reproductive technologies in which anything could happen." The newspaper report also told us that Dr. Scorsone spoke of "embryos, which we as Catholics believe are individual beings." Comment What then are those flaws that Dr. Scorsone downplays as not significant enough to defeat the Bill? (Note: Dr. Scorsone made a presentation to the Senate hearings pleading that they should pass the Bill that they did). The Bill allows: * in vitro fertilization in vitro fertilization (vē`trō, vĭ`trō), technique for conception of a human embryo outside the mother's body. Several ova, or eggs, are removed from the mother's body and placed in special laboratory culture dishes (Petri dishes); (which is an intrinsic evil in itself and also results in the death of approximately nine out of ten embryos); * many types of cloning that are not specified in the legislation; * the use of human embryos for research; * consent of parents for the use of their unborn offspring for research, which kills the embryo; * formation of animal-human hybrids; post-mortem harvesting of sperm and ova ova (o´vah) plural of ovum. Ova Eggs. Mentioned in: Stool O & P Test ova plural of ovum. ; sex-selection of embryos, in order to diagnose or treat (read abort (1) To exit a function or application without saving any data that has been changed. (2) To stop a transmission. (programming) abort - To terminate a program or process abnormally and usually suddenly, with or without diagnostic information. ) a sex linked disorder or disease; and surrogate motherhood surrogate motherhood Practice in which a woman (the surrogate mother) bears a child for a couple unable to produce children, usually because the wife is infertile or unable to carry a pregnancy to term. . The Bill also fails to define "human being" or recognize the humanity of the embryo and fetus. It even forbids the maintenance of an embryo's life outside the body after the fourteenth day of its existence, and therefore mandates the killing of an in vitro in vitro /in vi·tro/ (in ve´tro) [L.] within a glass; observable in a test tube; in an artificial environment. in vi·tro adj. In an artificial environment outside a living organism. embryo if it is not implanted, or it its development is not suspended by freezing. Pope John Paul's Encyclical Letter, Evangelium vitae No. 73 teaches that it is licit for an elected official to support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by an existing law by amending it, or to limit the harm that might be done by a proposed law by amending it. It does not however, therefore, permit an elected official to vote for a proposed law if after its amendment, it still contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals, as did Bill C-6. It is relevant to note that on June 3, 2003, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei), previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. published a document which was approved of and ordered for publication by Pope John Paul Pope John Paul is the name of two Popes of the Roman Catholic Church:
adj. Permitted by law; legal. [Middle English, from Old French licite, from Latin licitus, past participle of lic support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such a law'. This does not mean that a more restrictive law in this area could be considered just or even acceptable." In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , no Catholic had a right to support, or vote for, Bill C-6 (emphasis ours). As for the reference about "embryos, which we as Catholics believe are individual human beings," here again, Dr. Scorsone is in error. The biological identification and definition of a human embryo is a matter for the relevant science of human embryology embryology Study of the formation and development of an embryo and fetus. Before widespread use of the microscope and the advent of cellular biology in the 19th century, embryology was based on descriptive and comparative studies. to determine, and not matter that can be decided by religion or philosophy. The fact that a human being comes into existence at conception was first demonstrated scientifically more than one hundred years ago by Wilhelm His, the father of human embryology. The fact that an embryo begins its existence at conception is known to those who accept the evidence of science whether they are Catholics, believers in some other religion, or have no religion at all. We are surrounded by a trendy world-view that disregards, or fails fully to comprehend, not only the truths of religion, but also the truths of science. |
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