Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - Archbishop Elio Sgreccia had this to say at the end of the 10th general assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Life:
“The assembly this year was unique because it marked the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the Academy. The first day was devoted to taking stock of the activity in these ten years and the results was rich and positive because the Academy with little means had to follow themes of a scientific nature which followed in rapid succession which are present on the international scene, stem cells, cloning, xeno transplants etc. On the same day we commemorated the founder professor Le Jeune with particular emotion because he was one of the researchers who refuses to obey interests which suit present day mentalities and he paid personally for this with his career and suffered for his opposition to abortion although he was an expert in prenatal diagnosis, one of the researchers who discovered the origin of mongolism. The commemoration of Le Jeune added a note of enthusiasm to the assembly and also the character of protest which the world of Catholic research often has to use in society today. Also on day one, although it had no strictly scientific character but charged participants with significance, aspirations and enthusiasm. We recalled the Pope’s teaching in these 25 years of his pontificate. With regard to the second part of the Assembly , which foresaw the theme of artificial procreation there was reflection of both a scientific technological character and of a moral and political nature.
In these two days it clearly emerged that Catholic morals cannot accept the idea of artificial procreation whatever the method used. This was clearly affirmed by the Pope in his address when he said that in the structure of the human person and human sexuality of man and women, procreation is appropriate to the dignity of the persons involved children and parents, when the husband becomes father through conjugal union with the bride and the bride becomes mother through conjugal union with the husband. In this context we have procreation at the human level anthropologically set at the same level as the human person, the human person father, the human person mother, the concept of family. All this was highlighted in such an anthropological and moral way that I think it will be a point of reference for all reflection in this field .
Also most appreciated was the contribution to reflection on laws being drafted in his field and the behaviour which can and must be assumed in parliaments by those who are defenders of human dignity, who are against artificial procreation, particularly Catholic members of parliament. The duty of Catholics is to bear witness to their adhesion to the contents of Catholic morals. In the political context in which they find themselves, where they are not always able to succeed in convincing all of the rich human contents, they must strive to limit the damage. This line, which is not a compromise, is a line which leaves intact adhesion to the teaching of the Church for Catholics and strengthens the position of limiting the damage of laws being drafted. This task for Catholics who must be faithful to both Catholic moral teaching and the rules of parliament is a new task which has been studied with great attention and rigor.
There was in fact a third reflection which must not be lost, reflection on alternative lines. We see from what has been said that also in the secular world the great unbalance between human costs and benefits and artificial procreation and this makes the latter lose in consistency and esteem also among scientists. Hence the urgent need to find targeted alternatives to restore natural fertilisation. All the more because today infertility is increasing in the world due to many factors including postponement of marriage to later years, and also factors of behaviour and environment pollution etc. This is why it is urgent to create a current of thought and a line of research to give infertile couples or individuals a way to repair infertility, with means and methods of therapy including surgical therapy, a better use of drugs and above all personal hygiene and prevention. On this point we hope to create an ever richer current of research to be sustained with funds hitherto used to improve methods of artificial procreation, not only limited by not perfect beyond a limit at the same point for 20 years.
Whereas money, particularly public money, could be spent to repair natural fertility so that everyone can have a family and the joy of a child. We also spoke of adoption for those who are unable to overcome the causes of infertility, fecundity, an insuperable percentage always remains. Hence the channelling of the concept of fecundity, which is not the same as fertility, human fecundity in the spiritual sense, affective sense, solidarity towards adoption, help to families in need, to the numerous children in the world abused and abandoned was also one of the lines and the appeals of the Assembly ”. (AP) (25/2/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:81; Parole:1095)
