BioEthics

1. How would you explain why you are against abortion to a friend?
When someone is considering abortion as an option to the situation she finds herself in (i.e.,
being pregnant) she may have the immediate concern of all the problems having a child at
that moment means but not the long-term consequences of such an action. Carmen Gomez
Lavin, a psychiatrist and member of the Right to Life Committee says that sixty five percent
of women who abort suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome after undergoing
the procedure. A study published by V.M. Rue in the Medical Science Monitor in 2004
showed that 60% of the women who undergo an abortion say “part of me died’ after the
procedure. Studies have shown that there is an emotional positive effect from abortion,
which is relief. But shortly following that, women start to have negative reactions. These
negative reactions include emotional paralysis similar to shell shock in soldiers - also high
reports of depression, higher levels of anxiety and low self-esteem. Guilt, nervous disorders
and disturbances in sleep are common characteristics after abortion as well. Another effect
would be experiencing abortion related complications in later pregnancies. In fact 66% of
women had a miscarriage or premature birth after aborting a previous pregnancy.
Some argue that the fetus is not a separate life but a body part like tonsils or an appendix
that can be removed. A body part is defined by a common genetic code it shares with the
rest of its body. The unborn’s genetic code differs from the one of the mother. In some cases
when weighing options, the child may die and the mother may live or vice versa, showing
that they are separate individuals. Being inside something is not the same as being part of
something.
The unborn is an embryo or a fetus. This term does not refer to a non-human but to a human
being in a particular stage of development. Like the term toddler or adolescent, it is the same
person simply at a particular stage of life. The unborn fetus already contains within itself all
that is needed to develop into a complete human being. It is not a simple conglomeration of
cells but rather a complex being. An embryo is a human person who is not yet born
(European Union in 2011) with the following biological characteristics: biological novelty,
unity, continuity, historicity, autonomy and specificity Once the sperm meets and prepares
an egg, the unborn is a completely living, hereditarily unmistakable and organically self-
coordinating self-governing part of the species Homo sapiens. Every abortion stops an
actual beating heart and terminates measurable brain waves. Even at an early stage of
surgical abortions, the embryo has a clearly human appearance.
There are those who would use the term abortion as simply ‘terminating a pregnancy’ not
‘killing a child’. Yet, there is the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-
212), a United States law that recognizes an embryo or fetus in utero as a legal victim, if
they are injured or killed during the commission of any of over 60 listed federal crimes of
violence. The law defines "child in utero" as "a member of the species Homo sapiens, at any
stage of development, who is carried in the womb. This means an assailant who kills a
pregnant woman and her unborn child would be guilty of 2 murders, not one.
For those who say that it is unfair to bring children into the world where they are not wanted
we can say that every child is wanted by someone. Kristi Burton in an article ‘Why Do More
People Choose Abortion over Adoption” stated ‘ that in the USA there are approximately 2
million infertile couples waiting to adopt, many times regardless of the child’s medical
problems such as Down’s Syndrome, Spina Bifida, HIV infection or being terminally ill. Dr.
Brad Imler, President of America’s Pregnancy Helpline confirms the challenge of waiting
couples by stating: Only 1% of the Helpline’s annual 40,000 clients inquire about adoption.
I am a Catholic and naturally believe that abortion is wrong. It is the murder of an innocent
child by the one who should protect it the most. Yet, there are also many non-religious
people who believe that abortion is wrong. So being for or against abortion is not a matter of
simple religious opinion or something only Catholics or Christians believe.
BioEthics

2. Explain the value of human life in the Sacred Scriptures, in both the Old and
the New Testaments, with specific quotes.
Life is a gift from God. God created man. ‘Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the
ground, and he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being
(Genesis 2:7). From dust and clay, it was the breath of God that gives life. In the Psalms it is
written ‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
(Psalm 139:13-16). God formed us and the value of human life stems from the fact that we
were created in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) (Genesis 9:6) and given dominion
over all animals and given the task to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28)

God allowed the sacrifice of animals but when Cain killed his brother Abel, he was punished.
‘And the Lord said, ‘The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground, and
now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened his mouth to receive your brother’s
blood from your hand’ When you till the ground it shall no longer yield to you its strength, you
shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. (Genesis 4: 10-12) (Genesis 9:6). Homicide
is evil and contrary to God’s will since it destroys the image of God in man. At the same time,
man’s intellect and will, clouded by original sin, continue to kill fellow human beings and in
some cultures it is also incorporated into their laws – an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth,
honour killing, etc.

The value of human life is more than that of animals. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus points out,
‘Look at the birds of the aid they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?’ And in Luke 12:7 ‘Why
even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many
sparrows”. This is because we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3: 16-17) Do
you not know that you are God’s temple and the God’s spirit dwells in you? If anyone
destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that
temple. A person who takes the life of another will be held accountable and will be punished
by God ‘through his human representatives. ‘Thou shall not kill’ is one of the 10
commandments (Exodus 20:13). It is repeated in the New Testament (Romans 13:8-10). In
Exodus 21:12 ‘Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death’ ‘…do not slay
the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked (Exodus 23:7). He ‘hates…hands
that shed innocent blood: (Proverbs 6:16-17) Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed
innocent blood (Deuteronomy 27:25).

It is the human soul that distinguishes man from other created things and gives value to
human life. And this soul is given to God. Therefore, giving up one’s life for God has great
value. ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who
can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28) For you were bought with a price. So
glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:20). What good is it for someone to gain the whole
world, yet forfeit their souls? (Mk 8:36). The value of human life is shown by Jesus who gave
up his human life for our redemption. “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, … he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
(Philippians 2:5-8). For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians
3:3). Jesus said “I am the Way the truth and the life” (John14:6). Human life has value as
human beings are destined for union with God. “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that
were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John
14: 2-3); But our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil 3:20-21); Instead, they were longing for a
better country—a heavenly one. God..has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16). Jesus
promises eternal life for all those who follow his teachings.

Value of human life also manifested not only in not taking another person’s life but is
reflected in the way we treat other fellow human beings. ‘You shall love your neighbour as
yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 31). ‘Because you
BioEthics

are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples
in exchange for your life. (Isaiah 43:4)

3. What would you say to a friend who has experienced an ectopic pregnancy and
is depressed because she thinks that she has “killed” her baby?

I know that you are feeling depressed right now. You wanted the baby and feel like you have
killed your child. This is not true.

First of all, by the time an ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed, in most cases, there is no viable
fetus (i.e., the fetus has already died). Although the embryo has already died the trophoblast,
the forerunner to the placenta, continues to bore into the fallopian tube. The placenta
continues to be built—so-called “persistent ectopic pregnancy” They are simply removing the
embryo because of the harm that it will do to you. Ectopic or tubal pregnancy presents a
medical emergency that requires treatment as there are risks not only of your death and the
death of your baby, but also a loss of future fertility as it can cause the rupture of the
fallopian tube.

Secondly, even if the embryo was still alive, the chances of it actually developing into a
normal viable fetus in the fallopian tube is impossible. In the fallopian tube or sometimes,
when it gets detached from the tube and implants secondarily into the abdomen, few reach
viability and even fewer are extracted alive. Barely a quarter make it beyond the perinatal
stage. The fallopian tube and the abdomen are not the ideal environment for the fetus to
grow, hence, it will be unlikely that you would have the pregnancy reach its full term. The
fallopian tube is so narrow that it will burst out – and put your life in danger as well.

You may think that you have committed an abortion and we know that the direct killing of an
innocent child is always wrong, but even the US Conference of Catholic Bishops asserts
that, “Operations, treatments, and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a
proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they
cannot be safely postponed until the unborn child is viable, even if they will result in the
death of the unborn child”. There is no sin committed.

The ethical principle of double effect (originated with Aristotle and was refined by Thomas
Aquinas in the Summa theologia could be applied (although the Church has not given an
explicit position and there is still a debate on this – but it could help you.)

In general, this principle asserts that an action directed toward a good end (e.g., a medical
intervention designed to save the life of the mother) can be licitly conducted, even when this
action has an unavoidable secondary effect that is not good (e.g., the death of the fetus), if
the following three criteria are met. First, the act itself must not be unethical. Second, the
intention must be to achieve the good effect and not the bad effect. And finally, the good
effect must outweigh or at least equal the bad effect in ethical gravity – which is what
happened in your case.

You did not intend to kill your child and it was not the purpose of the medical intervention. It
was an unavoidable secondary effect. You had done all you could. As you know, you had
tried to choose a physician who tried to use expectant management. He monitored your
condition and using the medical means available. He adopted a wait-and-see attitude - no
surgical or pharmacological solutions that involve seeking the immediate and direct death of
the embryo was done: as long as the embryo was alive and the gestation did not yet disturb
the haemodynamic stability of the mother. The procedure was done when there was no
other alternative.

You are naturally depressed, you have just lost a child. If you had a miscarriage, you would
also feel depressed. It is just doubly hard for you as you knew it was going to happen and
BioEthics

you had consented to the treatment plan. Be at peace in knowing, you are not the direct
cause of the death of your child. Instead, you now have an ‘angel’ in heaven who you can
turn to. I understand that it will take time for you to get over this. I am here for you.

4. What is the classical distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means?

Should we use nutrition and hydration in comatose patients?
End of life decisions are very difficult. It is helpful for Catholics to be clear on what is the
distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means to be used on patients. Ordinary
means must be applied to preserve life. It is not necessary to use extraordinary means to
sustain the patient. Ordinary means are morally obligatory while extraordinary means are
not. Catholics are not morally obligated to undergo every possible medical treatment to save
lives.
Ordinary care refers to basic care needed to preserve the life of the person. These include
cleaning, pain medication, food and water. Provision of food and water through artificial
means like an IV line or feeding tube is still part of ordinary care. Ordinary care is an
intervention or means of treatment available that are objectively proportionate to the
prospects of improvement, i.e., it is generally accepted as effective and not terribly
burdensome or expensive.
Extraordinary care is one that is excessively burdensome to the patient. There are 4 aspects
of burden: excessive pain, great cost or means, grave effort (for example having to move
residence to receive treatment, severe dread or repugnance.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states (2278) Discontinuing medical procedures that
are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can
be legitimate; it is the refusal of "over-zealous" treatment. Here one does not will to cause
death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted. When the assistance, or a therapy
being proposed is dangerous, or has little chance of success, then not using that machine or
that therapy results in the person dying from the disease or organ failure they already have.
The omission allows nature to take its course. It does not directly kill the person, even
though it may contribute to the person dying earlier than if aggressive treatment had been
done. It is not euthanasia.
Nutrition and hydration must be given to comatose patients. The administration of food and
water even by artificial means is, in principle, an ordinary means of preserving life…the aim
of such nourishment is to “prevent death by starvation and dehydration”. Circumstances
when this principle does not apply include: (1) when the patient suffers and underlying
progressive/fatal condition and is imminently dying. (2) when there is no reasonable hope of
benefit from medically assisted nutrition and hydration. Sometimes a person’s body shuts
down and becomes unable to assimilate food or water. Solutions should be sought to see if
other ways of feeding and hydrating them are possible, but if they remain unable to process
food and water, then it can be harmful to continue giving it to them. In some cases,
continuing to feed or hydrate a person who cannot absorb these things could even hasten
their death. (3) when the burdens of medically assisted nutrition and hydration would be
excessive as deemed by the patient. For example, certain patients become agitated at the
sight of the feeding tube and pull it out repeatedly; the feeding tube causes repeated
complications, such as infections, bleeding, discomfort, or ulcerations; or the tube obstructs,
requiring the constant need for suctioning and recurring pneumonia. Considering these
excessive burdens caused by the treatment, it may be forgone or withdrawn.
A patient in a ‘permanent vegetative state’ is still a person with a fundamental human dignity
and therefore must receive ordinary and proportionate care which includes, in principle, the
administration of water and food even by artificial means.
BioEthics

5. What are the main documents of the Church Magisterium on Bioethics and
what are their main ideas?
Some of the main documents of the Church Magisterium on Bioethics include:
Gaudium et Spes (1965) from Vatican Council II talks the Church in the modern world. It coincided
with the cultural and technological revolution of the late 1960’s. It states that every human person,
as a corporeal and spiritual being created in God’s image and likeness, is endowed with dignity. It
dwells on some priorities of concern such as marriage and family, human culture, social-political and
economic life, bonds among nations and war and peace. It denounced offences and crimes against
humanity: ‘Furthermore, whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide,
abortion, euthanasia or wilful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person,
such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever
insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation,
slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions,
where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all
these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do
more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are
supreme dishonour to the Creator.’

Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI (1968): It is on contraception and reproductive ethics. It stressed
that God is the author of life and the lives he creates are sacred. Procreation is in the heart of
marriage and openness to procreation affirms the dignity of women. He clarified that couples may
take advantage of infertile periods to temporarily avoid conception but using artificial means for
contraception is against the moral law. Fertility is not a disease but a gift and the change in culture
does not mean a change in the moral law.

The Declaration De abortu procurator (November 18, 1974) talks about the right to life of each
person, an individual and genetically unique human being even in the earliest stage of development.
This right precedes any right to an elective abortion that may be claimed by pregnant women. The
right to life cannot be granted or taken away by any society or law because they are not qualified to
make such a decision. Procured abortion, even during the first days is objectively a grave fault.

Iura et bona or the Declaration on Euthanasia by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
(May 5, 1980) spoke about the lofty dignity of the human person and his or her right to life and
condemned crimes against life. It clarified the meaning of suffering for Christians and gave some
guidelines of the use of painkillers. It declared that “no one is permitted to ask for this act of killing,
either for himself or herself or for another person entrusted to his or her care, nor can he or she
consent to it, either explicitly or implicitly. nor can any authority legitimately recommend or permit
such an action.”

The Instruction Donum vitae (by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on February 22,
1987) talks about the moral criteria to be applied to clarify problems posed by today’s field of
biomedicine. It confirms the teaching of the Church that life begins at the moment of conception
and the need to respect the human embryo. It tackles issues on prenatal diagnosis, therapeutic
procedures carried out on the human embryo, how to evaluate morally research and
experimentation on human embryos and foetuses (heterologous and homologous artificial
fertilization), research using embryos, other procedures manipulating embryos and artificial
procreation/fertilization and surrogate motherhood.

The Magisterium of John Paul II, especially the encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life,
March 25, 1995) talks about the value of human life and warns against violating the sanctity of life.
The document focuses on right to life issues including abortion, birth control, and euthanasia, but
also touches on other concepts relevant to embryology, such as contraception, in vitro fertilization,
sterilization, embryonic stem cell research, and fetal experimentation. It also talks about murder and
capital punishment
BioEthics

Some other Papal/Vatican Documents include:

The teachings of Pius XII. Address to the First International Congress on the Histopathology of
the Nervous System—Pope Pius XII (1952) – talks about the moral limits of medical research, the
moral responsibility of the researcher

Address to an International Conference on Organ Donation—Pope St. John Paul II (August 29,
2000). He acknowledged the great value to this gift. He spoke against the commercialization of
human organs and the importance of informed consent as well us the problem of ascertaining the
fact of death of the donor and organ allocation. He also spoke about xenotransplantation (transplant
of organs from another species) clarifying that this must not impair the integrity of the psychological
or genetic identity of the person receiving it;

Address on Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State: Scientific Advances and Ethical
Dilemmas—Pope St. John Paul II (Mar 20, 2004). Pope John Paul II affirmed here that A man, even if
seriously ill or disabled in the exercise of his highest functions, is and always will be a man, and he
will never become a "vegetable" or an "animal". Medical doctors and health-care personnel, society
and the Church have moral duties toward these persons The sick person in a vegetative state,
awaiting recovery or a natural end, still has the right to basic health care (nutrition, hydration,
cleanliness, warmth, etc.), and to the prevention of complications related to his confinement to bed.

The Role of the Magisterium in Bioethics (February 8, 2007) On the 20th anniversary of the
Instruction Donum Vitae with new bioethical challenges like cloning, gene therapy, stem cell
productions, preimplantation diagnosis, banks of sperm cells and eggs for commercial use, it sets out
5 basic principles : (1) Morality and the Good News of Jesus Christ (2) Science at the service of Man
(3) “Yes” to the dignity of every human being (4) “Yes’ to marriage and conjugal love (5) The Church
at the Service of Society, keeping in mind the need to evangelize modern culture.

Dignitas personae (Instruction on Certain Bioethical Questions)—Congregation for the Doctrine of

the Faith (September 8, 2008) gives doctrinal directives on certain embryonic controversies such as
selective reduction, prenatal diagnosis, preimplantation diagnosis, IVF, cryopreservation, embryo
transfer, genetic engineering, embryo donation.

Note on the Morality of Using some Anti-Covid-19 Vaccines (December 17, 2020) and Note of the
Vatican Covid-19 Commission in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life “Vaccine for all.
20 points for a fairer and healthier world.” (December 29, 2020) clarified that all clinically
recommended vaccinations can be used with a clear conscience and that the use of such vaccines
does not signify some sort of cooperation with voluntary abortion.
BioEthics

6. How would you explain the differences between human life and animal life to a
friend who is an unbeliever?
As a Catholic, naturally I believe that man is created in the image and likeness of God. This
is what give man his dignity. In Genesis 1: 26 it says: Then God said, “Let us make mankind
in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in
the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move
along the ground.” Giving man also the dominion over the animals.
This, of course, is a Judeo-Christian view of the dignity of the human being. We have seen
what it is like when this view is abandoned. Nazi Germany and Communist regimes reject
these values and ended up slaughtering the largest number of people in human history. For
Hitler, the Jews and ‘non-Aryan’ groups were ‘subhuman’. It justified not only the murder of
all these people, but also the licence to use them as subjects for scientific experiments. Man
was treated like an animal. For the Communist, human worth was determined solely by the
Communist party and murdered millions of people were considered ‘class enemies’.
I am happy that there is a greater awareness of the importance of animals in our lives. Yet,
you cannot put animals and humans at the same level. There are a lot of things that show
the uniqueness of a human being over the animals.
Humans are the only living beings on earth who have the freedom to make decisions for
themselves based on reasoning and not mere instinct. The actions of humans are driven by
instincts, intellect, and logic. Animals make decisions solely based on instinct. If an animal is
hungry it will eat. If a man decides to go on a hunger strike for some principle he believes in,
even if he is hungry, he will not eat. Animals are not capable of doing that.
Humans are part of a single species ‘homo sapiens’ whereas animals are from diverse
species. Humans evolve over time, using their intellect. Our dwellings have evolved from
caves, to huts, to wooden houses, to concrete buildings and skyscrapers. The dwellings of
animals remain basically the same as they have been for thousands of years. One of the
most important differences between humans and animals is that we have the power of
imagination. With this, we are capable of turning our situation or any kind of environment
according not only to our needs but also to our wishes. Animals cannot change their
environment. They either adapt to the environment or die. Man creates dwellings in harsh
cold or heat conditions. He is able to find a way to be under the sea or in outer space.
Animals will not even consider trying to go to outer space. Man creates an environment
where he can survive in places where a human being normally, without special equipment
would not be able to. Man created ways to have artificial light in the hours when the light
from the sun or moon have long gone. Man has developed ways to preserve food so that he
does not have to hunt or scavenge for every meal. Nowadays, even fruits or vegetables that
used to be seasonal, are now available all year round. Animals left in the wild, constantly
have to hunt and kill for their sustenance. They are dependent on nature for their food.

It is also true that animals are important to human beings – not only as sources of food,
clothing and shelter but also in many other ways. Guide dogs have certainly made the lives
of many blind people more manageable. Some animals help detect when a child is about to
have an epileptic attack. Pets have been shown to help persons with depression and other
mental illnesses. Anyone with a beloved pet can attest to the importance of that animal in
their family. We can love our pet and our pet also loves us back in his own way but in no way
can we equate the pet or the animal to a human being. They are not equal and do not the
same rights. This does not mean that we cannot fight for a more humane treatment of
animals. We need to care for them as well. As the being with higher intelligence, we also
have the duty to care for them. For me, as a Catholic is it part of God’s plan for me. Man was
given the task to care for all the other creatures. God created these creatures and he saw
that they were good. I also love animals as you do but I believe in the worth of a human
being, even an unborn child more than that of any animal.
BioEthics

HUMANS ANIMALS

Humans are often called as

1. 'Homo Sapiens.' This is the On the other hand, animals have a number of species.
species that we belong to.

Animals can be carnivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous. Animals

Humans are omnivorous
like lions and tigers are carnivorous (survival on meat). Animals like
beings, i.e., they can eat both
2. a cow, sheep are herbivorous (survival on grass), and animals like
vegetarian and non-
bears, cockroaches are omnivorous (survival on both vegetarian
vegetarian foods.
and non-vegetarian foods).

The size of the brain varies to the size of an animal. For instance,
The weight of a human brain
3. the brain of a blue whale weighs 6.90 Kg, while the brain size of an
is 1.2 Kgs.
earthworm weighs 170-180 micrometers.

Humans have the ability to

reason upon certain things,
4. Animals cannot reason, but they are only driven by their instincts.
and are driven by instincts,
intellect, and logic.

Humans are bipedal, i.e., they Animals are quadrupedal, i.e., they walk on four legs. Apart from
5.
walk on two legs. aquatic animals and snakes, all animals walk on their four legs.

Humans can express

On the other hand, animals converse with each other, but they do
themselves to each other as
6. not a particular language ton converse in. they lack the
they have a 'particular
expressiveness of a human language.
language' to speak in.

Humans have the ability to

Animals are incapable of changing the environment. Therefore,
7. turn any kind of environment
they can either adapt to the environment or die.
according to themselves.

Humans have various ways of Animals are only dependent upon nature. So, they do not have any
8.
survival and sustenance. other means of survival.