what is the catholic's view on cloning and biotechnology, whether it be of any plant or animal

-- e.c (baby_lee01@hotmail.com), March 14, 2001

Answers

Jmj

Hello, E.C..
The Catholic Church teaches that cloning of plants and animals (other than human beings) can be is morally acceptable. Special breeding or careful genetic manipulation of plants and animals (other than humans) that is done for a good purpose and does not endanger a species or the environment, can also be morally acceptable. However, human cloning would never be acceptable, and human genetic manipulation would be accceptable only if it were therapeutic (disease/defect-curing).

The Catholic Church first taught authoritatively against human cloning in the 1987 instruction, "Donum Vitae" (Gift of Life), which you can read here.

You can read what the pope said recently (August, 2000) about cloning in this address.

For more discussion of the topic on this forum, please check the November/2000-to-February/2001 thread on cloning.

St. James, pray for us.
God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), March 15, 2001.