Catholic Position of Human Cloning
Human cloning is an attack on human dignity. Most of human cloning is used for the harvest of bodily organs, turning the cloning process into a human manufacturing rather than the creation of life. Clones are made with the sole intention to later destroy them and take their tissues and cells. With this type of dehumanizing procedure, some scientists come to take these clones as sub-human life forms. “While cloning may never produce any clinical benefit, its attack on human dignity has already begun.”
Vatican
Human cloning involves the creation of human embryos and is the beginning of human life. Reproductive cloning goes against the natural creation of a child and is therefore against the laws of nature. If reproductive cloning contravenes laws of nature, so is cloning for scientific purposes. A cloned embryo for scientific purposes is destined for “pre-programmed destruction”. Human embryos are human, even if they are cloned. Therefore, they deserve the respect for human dignity. “We must act to ban cloning in all its forms.”
Catechism of Catholic Church
2274 “Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being." Cloning human embryos only to destroy them to harvest their cells is undoubtedly immoral.
Cloned embryos are still human embryos and deserve the same protection.
2275 "One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo
which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve
disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing the
improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival."
* "It is
immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable
biological material."
Most human cloning takes places as scientific research and for the purpose of harvesting organs. Here the embryos are being treated as “disposable biological material” and the Catholic Church condemns their destruction.
