Bishops' President Says
Cloning Turns Human
Reproduction
into a Manufacturing Process
WASHINGTON (November 27, 2001) -- The
President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said that "human
cloning does not treat any disease but turns human reproduction into a
manufacturing process, by which human beings are mass-produced to preset
specifications."
"Once again, a technical ability to manipulate and
exploit human life is outdistancing society's ability to understand and
respond to its frightening implications," said Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of
Belleville, Il.
"While cloning may never produce any clinical benefit,
its attack on human dignity has already begun," Bishop Gregory stated. "The
House of Representatives, anticipating this threat, has already overwhelmingly
voted to ban human cloning. We urge the U.S. Senate to do the same without
delay."
Bishop Gregory commented on reports that a Massachusetts
biotechnology firm has cloned human embryos for research
purposes.
This is the text of the statement by Bishop
Gregory:
"The Catholic Church encourages efforts to find new ways
to reduce human suffering and treat life-threatening illness. However, human
cloning violates fundamental ethical and moral norms, and is to be condemned
unequivocally. Human cloning does not treat any disease but turns human
reproduction into a manufacturing process, by which human beings are
mass-produced to preset specifications. The cloning procedure is so
dehumanizing that some scientists want to treat the resulting human beings as
subhuman, creating them solely so they can destroy them for their cells and
tissues.
"The fact that U.S. scientists have now created human embryos
by cloning should serve as a wake-up call to Congress, and to all of us. Once
again, a technical ability to manipulate and exploit human life is
outdistancing society's ability to understand and respond to its frightening
implications.
"While cloning may never produce any clinical benefit,
its attack on human dignity has already begun. The House of Representatives,
anticipating this threat, has already overwhelmingly voted to ban human
cloning. We urge the U.S. Senate to do the same without delay."
__________________________________
Office
of Communications
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th
Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000
June 03, 2003 United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops