Donum Vitae
Foreward
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has been
approached by various Episcopal Conferences or individual
Bishops, by theologians, doctors and scientists, concerning
biomedical techniques which make it possible to intervene
in the initial phase of the life of a human being and in the
very processes of procreation and their conformity with the
principles of Catholic morality. The present Instruction,
which is the result of wide consultation and in particular
of a careful evaluation of the declarations made by Episcopates,
does not intend to repeat all the Church's teaching on the
dignity of human life as it originates and on procreation,
but to offer, in the light of the previous teaching of the
Magisterium, some specific replies to the main questions being
asked in this regard. The exposition is arranged as follows:
an introduction will recall the fundamental principles, of
an anthropological and moral character, which are necessary
for a proper evaluation of the problems and for working out
replies to those questions; the first part will have as its
subject respect for the human being from the first moment
of his or her existence; the second part will deal with the
moral questions raised by technical interventions on human
procreation; the third part will offer some orientations on
the relationships between moral law and civil law in terms
of the respect due to human embryos and foetuses* and as regards
the legitimacy of techniques of artificial procreation.
* The terms "zygote", "pre-embryo", "embryo"
and "foetus" can indicate in the vocabulary of biology
successive stages of the development of a human being. The
present Instruction makes free use of these terms, attributing
to them an identical ethical relevance, in order to designate
the result (whether visible or not) of human generation, from
the first moment of its existence until birth. The reason
for this usage is clarified by the text (cf I, 1).
Introduction >>
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