Bioethics and Catholic Social Teaching

General Principles of Bioethics

The general principles of bioethics include:

• Primacy of human life: Teaches that human life must be protected from conception until natural death.
• Human dignity: Means that every person possesses intrinsic value independently of health or usefulness.
• Beneficence and Non-maleficence: Beneficence seeks the good of the patient, while non-maleficence forbids causing unnecessary harm.
• Patient autonomy
• Proportionality of means: Rejects excessive or abusive medical treatments.

Biological and Ethical Status of the Embryo

According to biology, from the moment of fertilization, a new and unique human organism begins to exist. The embryo possesses its own independent DNA and develops through a coordinated and continuous process.

The Social Doctrine of the Church considers that human life begins when it is possible to identify an individual human subject with independent DNA. Therefore, the embryo is understood as a human being in an early stage of development and deserves protection and dignity from conception.

Church Social Teaching on Abortion

The Social Doctrine of the Church teaches that abortion is morally unacceptable because it deliberately destroys innocent human life.

According to the Church, human dignity and the right to life exist from the moment of conception, since the embryo is already a human being with its own identity and development. The Church therefore defends the protection of life from conception until natural death.

Bioethical Principles and Euthanasia

The Social Doctrine of the Church rejects euthanasia because it intentionally causes the death of a human person and violates the dignity and value of human life. The principles applied to euthanasia include the primacy of human life, non-maleficence, and human dignity.

The Church also distinguishes euthanasia from the refusal of disproportionate treatments. According to the principle of proportionality of means, it is morally acceptable to reject extraordinary treatments when they no longer offer real benefit to the patient.

Understanding Genetic Manipulation

Genetic manipulation refers to the alteration or modification of genetic material in living organisms.

The Social Doctrine of the Church distinguishes between therapeutic interventions that seek to cure diseases and manipulations that attempt to redesign human life according to arbitrary criteria.

The Church rejects the production or destruction of embryos for stem cell research because the embryo is considered a human being from conception and possesses human dignity.