Bishops Decry Vote to Allow 3-Parent Embryos

London, February 04, 2015 (Zenit.org)http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/bishops-decry-vote-to-allow-3-parent-embryos

UK Set to Become 1st Nation to OK Process

On Tuesday the House of Commons voted 382-128 to allow the creation of embryos with DNA from two women and one man.

The technique is designed for women who have mitochondrial diseases, which are passed down to their children.

If given final approval, it will use a modified version of IVF to combine the DNA of two parents with the healthy mitochondria of a donor woman.

In addition to the health and safety concerns surrounding this uncharted territory, there are also moral issues. One of the methods for the technique involves the creation of two embryos, one of which is destroyed after donating its nucleus to the embryo with 

the healthy mitochondria.

Bishop John Sherrington on behalf of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales made the following statement after Tuesday's vote:

“Despite the genuine and considerable concerns of many people, the decision of Parliament is clear on this issue. Whilst the Church recognises the suffering that mitochondrial diseases bring and hopes that alternative methods of treatment can be found, it remains opposed on principle to these procedures where the destruction of human embryos is part of the process. This is about a human life with potential, arising from a father and a mother, being used as disposable material. The human embryo is a new human life with potential; it should be respected and protected from the moment of conception and not used as disposable material.”

Related: 

Statement on Mitochondrial Donation Pre Vote
catholicnews.org.uk/mitochondrial-donation-300115

(February 04, 2015)

See also:

Scottish Catholic Bishop Speaks Out Against '3-Parent Babies'

 http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php

Scottish Bishop John Keenan has spoken out clearly and unequivocally against the push for so-called 3-parent babies.

His Lordship was consecrated as the new Bishop of Paisley in St. Mirim's Cathedral, on the Feast of St. Joseph, last March.

Of the Commons debate and vote on '3-parent babies,' Bishop Keenan stated: 'The technique is not a treatment, it does not cure anyone or anything, rather it seeks to remove anyone affected by certain conditions from the human gene pool. Destroying those who have a particular disease and presenting it as a cure or as progress is utterly disingenuous and completely unethical.'

Whilst condemning the destruction of human embryos, Bishop Keenan pointed out that, even if no embryos were harmed, the Church would still oppose the procedure, because mitochondrial donation would sunder the natural process of fertility. (This is also one of the several ethical and theological reasons why the Church does not accept other forms of IVF).

He added: 'It is surprising that a society which increasingly favours and supports natural and 'environmentally friendly' products and services should countenance the genetic modification of human beings. How can we object when scientists genetically modify plants, but not when they do the same with people?''

Dr. Helen Watt, of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, an institute of the Catholic Church in the UK and Ireland, has described the Commons vote for '3-parent babies' as a ''disaster''. She added: ''We can only hope that the House of Lords will take a more sceptical approach.''