Catholic Position

1. Catholic Position • Many currently available techniques involve selective abortion and are rejected on that basis • From the Catechism: 2375 Research aimed at reducing human sterility is to be encouraged, on condition that it is placed "at the service of the human person, of his inalienable rights, and his true and integral good according to the design and will of God."166 2376 Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral. These techniques (heterologous artificial insemination and fertilization) infringe the child's right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses' "right to become a father and a mother only through each other."167 2377 Techniques involving only the married couple (homologous artificial insemination and fertilization) are perhaps less reprehensible, yet remain morally unacceptable. They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. The act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that "entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Such a relationship of domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children."168 "Under the moral aspect procreation is deprived of its proper perfection when it is not willed as the fruit of the conjugal act, that is to say, of the specific act of the spouses' union . . . . Only respect for the link between the meanings of the conjugal act and respect for the unity of the human being make possible procreation in conformity with the dignity of the person."169

2. Genetic Counseling • Tests couple’s DNA to determine risk of genetic diseases using Mendellian genetic principals • Best applied to single-pair genetic diseases • Usually only gives probabilities for any given child • Allowed by the Church • Can still be misused: in one case, a deaf lesbian couple searched for a sperm donor who was also congenitally deaf to insure the birth of a deaf child

3. In-Vitro Fertilization • Combines egg and sperm in the lab and later implants one or more fertillized embryos in the woman • Implantation is not 100% successful so typically multiple embryos are implanted to increase odds of success • This is often followed by selective abortion to remove “extra” embryos • Also, surplus embryos may not be implanted but instead either destroyed, used for research, or frozen for later use

4. Sex Selection • Sex selection now costs about $1500 and is approximately 70% successful; based on sperm sorting followed by IVF • May be used for disease prevention in cases of genetic disease which is only inherited by one sex such as male hemophilia

5. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) • Builds on IVF by testing DNA of fertillized embryos before implantation to select desired traits • Can screen for problems such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, extra chromosomes, etc. • Used in the famous Nash family case to create 15 embryos and select one both for genetic health and for compatibility with an existing child to act as donor • Can provide 100% effective sex screening as well • Practitioners have no moral issues with creating dozens of embryos to achieve 1 birth • There have been cases where the “wrong” embryo was aborted • Eugenics

6. Fetal Mating and Chimeras • Techniques to allow 2 women or 2 men to have a child which is genetically related to both • “Fetal Mating” involves creation of male and female embryos, one from each of the two involved partners plus anonymous donors, and then “harvesting” the reproductive cells of the resulting fetuses before birth and using them to create yet another embryo which is effectively the genetic grandchild of the original 2 partners plus 2 anonymous donors • “Chimeras” accomplish the same by again generating embroys from the 2 parties with anonymous donors. This time though the embroys are split at the 8 cell stage and then mix-and-matched in the reverse of the natural twinning process. The embryos develop normally except half their cells have a different genetic identity than the other half. • Can cause patchy skin and hair • Results in hermaphroditism if embroys of opposite genders are combined • Chimeras have occasionally occurred in nature

7. The “Virtual Child” • Create dozens or hundreds of fertillized embryos, test DNA of all using PGD • Use advanced genetics knowledge (not yet available) to determine characterisics of all embryos rapidly • Give parents a “mouse-driven menu” of the children the embryos would produce, with the characteristics of each, and allow the choice of which embryo to implant (the rest are destroyed) • While not yet possible, it is the logical extension of current trends and seems likely to eventually occur

8. Germ Line Alteration • It is already possible to alter the germ line of animals • Retrovirus and other approachs used • Success yield is typically low • Other approaches will likely be developed • Can be done in humans but the risks are considered too high even by those who otherwise push the envelope • Eventually it will probably be easy for humans as well • Eliminate single-pair diseases • Add artificial chromosomes in addition to the natural ones

9. Germ Line Alteration Issues • Allowed by the Church? • Possibility of speciation • Unknown dangers • Evolutionary advantage

10. “True” Genetic Engineering • Create new gene sequences that did not naturally evolve • Requires a deep understanding of protein structure and interaction all throughout the body • Design for complex traits like intelligence and beauty • Add new characteristics to humans such as ability to photosynthesize, survive harsher environments, etc • Probably at least several decades away if not significantly more

11. Discussion Questions • Do you agree with the Church’s position on IVF, surrogate motherhood, conception outside the conjugal act, etc? If you don’t agree with the Church’s line, where would you draw the line at acceptable vs unacceptable procedures? • What rights do you think a child has to be born with natural DNA, disease-free DNA, or enhanced DNA? What rights does a child have regarding under what conditions his/her conception occurred and in what family situation (ie normal father/mother vs. alternatives such as a homosexual couple using the techniques described or some of the other more bizarre yet-to-be-completed possibilites such as male pregnancy or babies carried to term in artifical wombs in the lab) Do we have an obligation to cure genetic disease or an obligation not to interfere? • Do you think humans are wise enough to be involved on a direct level with genetic alteration? Should humans attempt to improve on our own genetic design?