Concept of Complicity
One of the major debates associated with the use of stem cells involves its derivation from embryos. The use of stem cells from the inner cell mass often results in the destruction of embryos, which have the inherent potential to develop into an entire organism. Regardless of the improvements in the methods of isolation, propagation, and maintenance of stem cells in vitro, the Catholic Church has campaigned against the method of embryo destruction to obtain these immature cells for their potential application to the repair, replacement, and regeneration of mutated cells. The term complicity pertains to the association of a wrongful activity, regardless of its indirect connection.
Thus, by allowing, fostering, or contributing to a specific wrongdoing, an individual is complicit in that unacceptable action. For example, a person who encourages another individual to commit a crime is considered to be complicit in that crime. Other ways of being considered complicit to a wrongful activity is by not doing anything to prevent another person or group of persons from performing an unethical action. It is thus essential that the Catholic Church express its insights on the use of stem cells in biomedical research.
Ethical Reasons Against the Use of Stem Cells
The Catholic Church has always supported every person’s right to life, which starts from the point of conception and the potential of a fertilized egg or embryo to develop into a full organism. The use of stem cells that were prepared by collecting approximately 100–200 cells from the inner cell mass could therefore result in the depletion of an essential component of an embryo, thus ultimately resulting in its destruction. Similar to its stand against abortion, the Catholic Church therefore refuses to support any activity that leads to the termination of potential life, particularly that of another human being, including embryos.
Another concern of the Catholic Church is the method of collecting eggs to be used in fertilization experiments to generate an embryo. Female donors of eggs are usually given hyperovulatory drugs that induce these individuals to release several eggs that would be collected during a procedure. This drug treatment is strongly associated with side effects such as nausea, tumor development, and even death. The act of donating eggs for research has also been triggered by the donor’s need to earn money and this often raises a concern regarding the treatment of these women as egg farms. The Catholic Church therefore discourages this specific form of exploitation and potential abuse of women, who are often financially in need and are vulnerable to social, moral, and economic issues.
The Catholic Church also opposes the use of in vitro techniques of fertilization. It upholds the value of human procreation, in which two individuals of the opposite sex engage in marital intimacy, which results in the union of an egg and a sperm that generates a fertilized embryo. The use of embryonic stem cells involves handling of egg cells and sperm cells in the laboratory and allowing these to encounter in a Petri dish. This manipulation of cells to artificially interact and fuse thus abolishes the importance and role of procreation and instead strengthens the scientific approach of production. The Catholic Church has also been keen on uplifting human morale, wherein no other scientific technology should replace the creation of another human being. The artificial fertilization of eggs to produce embryos that would serve as sources of stem cells allows laboratory personnel to determine the survival or destruction of an embryo, which unethically plays the role of the God.
Points of Contention in Relation to the Position of the Catholic Church
Several analysts have examined the points on which the Catholic Church has campaigned against the use of embryonic stem cells in biomedical research. One major concern involves the influence of the Catholic Church on public policy. The role of the church has been so significant for thousands of years that its disagreement on the potential destruction of embryos as sources of stem cells may hamper the progress of scientific investigations. Other analysts have also conveyed their concern that the Catholic Church communicates to the public as if this were the only religion that follows moral principles.
Another point of argument with regard to the stand of the Catholic Church involves the need to extensively study human embryos. Scientists have attempted to explain that stem cell research is primarily driven by the need to understand human development and not how to find ways of controlling the souls of human beings. Both the Catholic Church and the scientific world agree that the embryo is the earliest phase of human life and that a wide range of biological processes is established at this level. However, the scientific community feels that the potential of an embryo to develop into a human does not equate to generating an actual person. Analysts have also described the actions of the Catholic Church against the use of embryonic stem cells as being equivalent to its response to Galileo’s studies 400 years ago that aimed to prove that the sun, not the earth, was at the center of the universe.
Reassessing the Connections Between Steps in Stem Cell Research
Based on the concept of complicity, in which fostering a wrongful act in relation to obtaining stem cells for countless medical and scientific scenarios can also be an unacceptable deed, the Catholic Church has therefore painstakingly assessed the merits of stem cell research. For years, society has assumed that when the Catholic Church initially expressed its disapproval of the embryo destruction, this would result in the outright rejection of the technology, including its applications and benefits. Most recently, the Catholic Church has released its position on stem cell research, wherein it does not outrightly reject the concept of generating immature cells that have the potential of replacing damaged or mutated cells but it identifies a specific source of stem cells that is acceptable to the norms of its religious views. Furthermore, the Catholic Church has also weighed the advantages and disadvantages of each type of stem cell.
Contrary to the expectations of society, the Catholic Church has thus expressed its support of stem cell research using adult stem cells, but not embryonic stem cells. The church is also aware that most of the published works on the use of stem cells are based on adult stems cells, which have generated positive results. On the other hand, the use of embryonic stem cells in medical treatment is still in its infancy and thus the Catholic Church feels that it is morally, ethically, and practically advantageous to utilize adult stem cells over their embryonic counterparts. Adult stem cells include undifferentiated cells derived from the umbilical cord, the placenta, bone marrow, and even cadavers. Members of the clergy are also cognizant of the fact that most of the current stem cell techniques that have been reported to be effective were based on the use of adult stem cells and not embryonic stem cells.
The use of adult stem cells has also been considered by the Catholic Church as a “natural” approach for repairing tissues in the body. These cells are inherently present in various regions of an adult and do not require destruction of a particular organ, unlike embryonic stem cells, which require collection of the inner cell mass that results in the depletion of this region of the blastocyst. The church also finds it totally acceptable to use adult stem cells in treating medical conditions in an adult body, unlike the application of embryonic stems cells to an adult patient. More importantly, the church has also expressed that finding ways to cure specific diseases should be based on the search process, wherein committing a serious and morally evil act such as the destruction of an embryo will not justify the actions of a scientist in wanting to find a way to cure a specific disease.
Rhea U. Vallente
Independent Scholar
See Also: Buddhism; Christianity; Judaism; Muslim.
Further Readings
Capland, P. S. “The Roman Catholic Church and Embryonic Stem Cells.” Journal of Medical Ethics, v.30 (2004).
Oakley, J. “Democracy, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and the Roman Catholic Church.” Journal of Medical Ethics, v.28 (2002).
Spiegel, A. M. “The Stem Cell Wars: A Dispatch From the Front.” Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, v.124 (2013).