VATICAN CONDEMNS CLONING BUT PROTECTS THE CLONES

UNCLAS VATICAN 001745 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE) FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 52/01 DEPT. PLS PASS TO HOUSE OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PLS PASS TO OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE, HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI TBIO VT SUBJECT: VATICAN CONDEMNS CLONING BUT PROTECTS THE CLONES ¶1. CHARGE AND POLITICAL ASSISTANT MET MARCH 23 WITH THE POPE'S THEOLOGIAN, FRENCH-BORN DOMINICAN MONK GEORGES UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 01745 311607Z COTTIER, TO DISCUSS THE CLONING OF HUMAN BEINGS. COTTIER AFFIRMED THE VATICAN POSITION THAT CLONING IS IMMORAL IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT HUMAN BEINGS THAT RESULT FROM CLONING PROCEDURES MUST BE CONSIDERED EQUAL TO ANY OTHER PERSON IN REGARD TO RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. (NOTE: TRANSLATED THEOLOGICALLY, FOR THE VATICAN THESE CLONES WILL HAVE THE SAME IMMORTAL SOULS THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS POSSESS. END NOTE). COTTIER FIRMLY DISMISSED THE POSSIBILITY OF A SUB-HUMAN RACE OF CLONES. (NOTE: THE VATICAN ACCEPTS CLONING THERAPIES USING PLANTS AND ANIMALS WHEN THIS DIRECTLY BENEFITS HUMAN PERSONS IN TERMS OF FOOD AND HEALTH CARE, AS LONG AS ANIMAL RIGHTS AND BIO-DIVERSITY ARE RESPECTED. END NOTE). ¶2. COTTIER ACCEPTED THE LICITY OF CLONING INDIVIDUAL BODY PARTS FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES. HE ALSO APPROVED OF THE USE OF ANIMAL ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANTATION INTO HUMANS, IF PROPER HEALTH SAFEGUARDS WERE FOLLOWED. COTTIER SAID THE USE OF ADULT STEM CELLS IN HEALTH-CARE THERAPIES WAS LEGITIMATE. HE CONDEMNED THE USE OF STEM CELLS FROM FETUSES DESTROYED BY THE TECHNIQUE. ¶3. COMMENT: FATHER COTTIER EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION THAT EMBASSY OFFICERS REPRESENTING THE USG HAD SHOWN FORESIGHTED INTEREST IN HUMAN CLONING. HE OPINED THAT WHILE THE TECHNIQUE SEEMED INEVITABLE, MOST GOVERNMENTS HAD FAILED TO ANTICIPATE ITS MORAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS. END COMMENT. MERANTE UNCLASSIFIED > 2001VATICA01745 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED