Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01VATICAN6121
2001-11-28 11:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:  

VATICAN CONDEMNS CLONING EXPERIMENT

Tags:  PREL PHUM SOCI TBIO VT 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS VATICAN 006121 

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),EUR/PD/PA (HILTON),DRL/IRF (FARR

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN MESSAGE NUMBER 209/01

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI TBIO VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN CONDEMNS CLONING EXPERIMENT

REFTEL: VATICAN 1745

UNCLAS VATICAN 006121

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),EUR/PD/PA (HILTON),DRL/IRF (FARR

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN MESSAGE NUMBER 209/01

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI TBIO VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN CONDEMNS CLONING EXPERIMENT

REFTEL: VATICAN 1745


1. THE VATICAN HAS REITERATED ITS UNEQUIVOCAL CONDEMNATION
OF HUMAN CLONING FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY ADVANCED CELL
TECHNOLOGY THAT IT HAD CARRIED OUT THE PROCEDURE. THE VATICAN
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 06121 281208Z
DECLARED THE EVENT AS A "GRAVE" DEVELOPMENT. THE VATICAN
INSISTS THE CELLS ARE HUMAN LIFE AND THAT SCIENTISTS SHOULD
ACKNOWLEDGE THEY ARE DEALING WITH HUMAN EMBRYOS INSTEAD OF
TALKING ABOUT CLUSTERS OF CELLS.


2. CLAIMS OF THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF CLONED HUMAN
EMBRYOS WERE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR THE VATICAN, WHICH
CRITICIZED THE HIERARCHY OF THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE APPARENTLY
INTRODUCED BY THE THERAPIES. FOR THE VATICAN EVERY HUMAN LIFE,
FROM CELL ONE TO NATURAL DEATH, HAS EQUAL VALUE. IF ONE
PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT STAGE IS SINGLED OUT FOR USE BY ANOTHER
MORE MATURE STAGE, IT WARNED OF A NEW FORM OF DISCRIMINATION
BASED ON "STAGE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT" - AN EMBRYO BEING WORTH
LESS THAN A FETUS, AN INFANT HAVING LESS VALUE THAN AN ADULT
AND SO ON. THE VATICAN STATEMENT PROMOTED ALTERNATIVE STEM
CELL RESEARCH AND THERAPY USING STEM CELLS FROM ADULTS AND
SPONTANEOUSLY ABORTED FETUSES WHICH IT DECLARED SCIENTIFICALLY
VALID AND MORALLY LICIT.


3. NOTE: POLOFF WAS TOLD BY A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR LIFE (BIOETHICAL ISSUES) THAT HE FELT
"BETRAYED" BY THE ADMINISTRATION WHICH HE EXPECTED TO PREVENT
CLONING TAKING PLACE. THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS 11/26 DECLARING
CLONING "WRONG" WERE REPORTED BY VATICAN-BASED MEDIA. WE
EXPECT THE VATICAN WILL APPRECIATE THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS.
END NOTE.


4. COMMENT: WE DO NOT EXPECT THE VATICAN TO CHANGE ITS
POSITION ON HUMAN CLONING. HOWEVER, SHOULD THE PROCEDURE
EVENTUALLY LEAD TO MATURE HUMAN "CLONES" TAKING THEIR PLACE IN
SOCIETY THEN THE VATICAN WOULD URGE FULL RESPECT AND RIGHTS TO
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 VATICA 06121 281208Z
BE ACCORDED TO SUCH HUMAN BEINGS (REFTEL). THE VATICAN TAKES A
SIMILAR APPROACH TO PEOPLE CONCEIVED BY "IN VITRO" AND OTHER
WHAT IT DEFINES AS MORALLY ILLICIT PROCEDURES. END COMMENT.
NICHOLSON

UNCLASSIFIED

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2001VATICA06121 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED