VOL. 31, NO. 11
•
Friday, March 13, 1987
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly.
58 Per Year
Vatican paper examines • • procreatIon practIces •
VATICAN CITY (NC) - A new Vatican document on procreation rejects as morally illicit in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, and experiments with human embryos "not directly therapeutic." Issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the 40page document urges civil authorities to prohibit such practices as contrary to individual rights, family welfare and the institution of marriage. It also criticizes some forms of prenatal diagnosis, embryo freezing and reproductive cell donations. However, the document, "Instruction on Respect for Human Life in its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation: Replies to Certain Questions of the Day," says techniques meant to "facilitate" the conjugal act are acceptable. The document draws from previous church teachings on marriage and the church's traditional defense of human life from conception. It urges theologians to help Catholics understand those teachings. Dated Feb. 22 and released by the Vatican March 10, the document was signed by the congregation's prefect, CardinalJoseph Ratzinger, and its secretary, Archbishop Alberto Bovone. The long-expected statement rejects any form of in vitro fertilization (conception oflife in the laboratory), even when the technique is used by a married couple. In addition the document criticizes:
- Prenatal diagnosis in which the discovery o( fetal defects may lead to abortion.· - Embryo experimentation "not directly therapeutic." - Production of"spare" embryos for experimentation or commercial use. - Freezing of embryos. - Preselection of sex or other characteristics. - Use of outside sperm or egg . donors. . - Surrogate motherhood. Underlying the entire document were two principles: - "The inviolability ofthe iimocent human being's right to life from the moment of conception until death." - The "special character" of the transmission of human life through sexual intercourse between married partners. "The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception," the document says. "·His rights as a person must be recognized" particularly "the inviolable right of every innocent human being to life." . PrenataL diagnosis is moral1y licit if it aims at "safeguarding or healing" and subjects neither the mother nor the embryo to "disproportionate risks," it says. Experimentation on an embryo or any interventions not "directed toward its healing, improvement" or survival are also rejected. . "If the embryos are living, whether viable or not, they must be respected just like any other human
person," the document says. "Experimentation on embryos which is not directly therapeutic is illicit." Freezing embryos is condemned because of the "grave risks of death or harm" and because even the temporary loss "of maternal shelter and gestation" exposes embryos to possible "further offenses and manipulation." Also judged "contrary to the human dignity proper to the embryo" and its right to be "conceived and to be born within marriage and from marriage" are scientific experiments involving crossfertilization of human and animal reproductive cells, gestation of human embryos in animal uteruses or the development of artificial uteruses for human embryos. Efforts "aimed at producing human befngs selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities" are wrong because "every person must be respected for himself," the document says. In examining questions ofhuman procreation, the document says the "unborn child must be the fruit of marriage." Thus all artificial fertilization using either a donated sperm or a donated egg from someone other than one of the spouses is "moral1y illicit." Such practices produce "a· rupture between genetic parenthood, gestational parenthood and responsibility for upbringing," the document says. Artificial fertilization of an unmarried woman .or a widow, "whoTurn to Page Six
Hargreaves photo
GEORGE L. AGOSTINI
Seekonk man lay head of Appeal Bishop Daniel A. Cronin has announced that George L. Agostini ofSt. Mary's parish, Seekonk, will be 1987 lay chairman of the 46th annual diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal. He is the first Seekonk resident to serve in that capacity. Bishop Cronin marks his 17th year as the Appeal's honorary chairman. Agostini is a graduate of St. Raphael's Academy and the former St. Joseph Grammar School, both in Pawtucket, R.I., and has studied at the University of Rhode Island and Bryant Col1ege. The lay chairman is the president of Bacon Construction, Inc., Ocean State Janitorial, Octagon Chemical and the Agostini Realty Company. He belongs to the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, and St. Joseph's Hospital Bishop's Council, among other organizations. Agostini is married to the former
Mary Joan Perone, a Meals on Wheels volunteer. They have three children; Steven and David are, respectively, graduates of Worcester Polytechnichal Institute and Providence Col1ege and Paula Jean is a student at Babson Col1ege. The Appeal's Special Gifts phase is scheduled for April 20 to May 2; it solicits the support of professional, fraternal,- business and industrial organizations. The Parish Phase wil1 begin between noon and 3 p.m. May 3, when 20,150 volunteer solicitors will visit 115,000 homes in the 114 diocesan parishes. Approximately 340,000 Catholics will be asked to contribute. The parish phase official1y ends May 13. An Appeal kickoff meeting is scheduled for 8 p.m. April 22 at Bishop Connol1y High' School, Fall River. Over 800 clergy, religious and laity are expected to attend.
Laity discuss role Motta photo
THE CHURCH of St. Patrick, one, holy, Catholic and apostolic, is alive and well, as witnessed by St. Patrick's, Fall River, whose striking sign is pictured above. It's one of four Patrician parishes in the diocese, the others being in Falmouth, Somerset and Wareham. All extend a shamrock salute to March 17 revelers.
WASHINGTON (NC) - This fal\'s world· Synod of Bishops is about lay people, and right now it has U.S. Catholic lay people talking all over the country. From Manchester, N.H., to San Bernardino, Calif., questionnaires have been sent out in dioceses and meetings have been held in parishes and deaneries to learn what American Catholics think about the church today and their place in it. In addition, Western and
Midwestern regional consultations with lay delegates from dioceses were held in February, with further consultations scheduled in the South in mid-March and in the East in early May. The diocesan surveys, usual1y based on model questions distributed nationally, asked such questions as: - What is the lay vocation in the world? What problems do you Turn to Page Six