Washington D.C., Dec 13, 2008 / 04:21 am
Cardinal Francis George, the Archbishop of Chicago and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has welcomed the new Vatican document on bioethics for considering the “profound ethical implications” related to procreation and the integrity of marriage.
The document, Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of the Person), is an Instruction from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) that was published on Friday.
Noting “some anthropological, theological and ethical elements of fundamental importance,” the document praises the creativity of scientific inquiry and technological advances. It also discusses ethical problems in procreation technologies and the new procedures involving the manipulation of embryos and “the human genetic patrimony,” such as cloning.
Dignitas Personae also advocates respect for the human being from the moment of his or her conception and declares that the origin of human life “has its authentic context in marriage and the family.”