Pius XII (Pope),

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 16 | Number 4 Article 110-1-1949The Holy Father Condemns Artificial InseminationPius XII (Pope)Follow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqPart of the Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, and the Medicine and Health SciencesCommonsRecommended CitationPius XII (Pope) (1949) "The Holy Father Condemns Artificial Insemination," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 16: No. 4, Article 1.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol16/iss4/1The Holy Father Condemns Artificial InseminationCover Page FootnoteThe following is a complete translation of the discourse of His Holiness Pope Pius XII to the fourthInternational Convention of Catholic Doctors, delivered at Castelgandolfo on September 29, 1949.This article is available in The Linacre Quarterly: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol16/iss4/1e Unacre Quarterly ............................................ _ ........................ -.. -... ~ The Holy Father Condemns Artificial Insemination OCTOBER, 1949 The folloft'mg is a complete translation of the discourse of His Holiness Pope Pius XII to the fourth International Convention of Catholic Doctors, delivered at Castelgandolfo on September ~9, 1949. DEAR so.ns and daughters, yo.ur presence here around Us has . a deep significance which causes Us great jo.y. First is the fact that 30 different natio.ns are here represented even tho.ugh the mo.ats separating the natio.ns, created in the pre-war, po.st-war, as well as the war years, have no.t yet, and by far, been filled in. Then there is the fact that yo.u co.me to. tell Us o.f the elevated tho.ughts that have guided yo.ur exchange o.f views in the sphere o.f medicine, and the fact that in this sphere yo.u exercise mo.re than a simple pro.fessio.n, but a real and an excellent ministry o.f charity. All this mo.st naturally assures you a mo.st paternal receptio.n by Us. YQU expect o.f Us, with Our blessing, so.me advice with regard to. yQur duties, and \Ve shall be pleased to. give yo.u so.me brief reflectio.ns o.n the o.bligatiQns impo.sed upo.n yo.u by the pro.g-ress that medicine has made, by the beauty and the grandeur o.f its practice and b), its relatio.n with natural and Christian mo.rality. Fo.r many centuries, and especially during Qur o.wn age, the pro.gress o.f medicine is o.bvio.us. It is a pro.gress certainly co.mplex Ilnd embracing the mo.st varied branches o.f theo.ry and practice: pro.gress in the study o.f the bo.dy and the o.rganism, in all the physical, chemical and natural sciences; in the kno.wledge o.f medi-cines, their pro.perties and their use; pro.gress in applying to. the urt o.f healing no.t o.nly the science o.f physiQlo.gy but also. o.f psy-cho.lo.gy; o.f the mutual actio.ns and reactio.ns o.f physics, and of mo.rality. Anxio.us no.t to. disregard any benefits o.f this pro.gress, the medical docto.r is co.ntinually Qn the watch fo.r all the means o.f curing o.r, at leust, o.f relieving the ills Ilnd the sufferings o.f men. THE LINACRE QUARTERLY The surgeon seeks to render less painful the operations that are required; the gynecologist does his best to reduce the pains of childbirth, without however endangering the health of the mother or the child and without risking a change in the feelings of motherly tenderness for the new-born child. If the simple zeal for humanity, the natural love for one's fellowmen spurs and guides every conscientious medical doctor in his research, what is there that the Christian doctor will not do, when, moved by divine charity, he dedicates himself without sparing either his efforts or himself, for the good of those whom he rightly regards in faith as his brethren? He certainly rejoices whole-heartedly in the immense progress already made; and the results already obtained by his predecessors and continued today by his colleagues, with whom he joins to continue a magnificent tradition. He is justly proud of making his own contribution. Never, however, does he consider himself satisfied; he is always looking to the future, to new distances to cover, to new advances to be made. He works enthusiastically both as a medical doctor, wholly dedicated to obtain alleviation for humanity and each individual, and as a scientist whom consequent discoveries give a taste of the joy of learning. He is as a believer and a Christian who, in the splendors he discovers in the new horizons that open before him, sees the .greatness and the power of the Creator, the inexhaustible goodness of the Father, who, after having given the living organism so many resources for its development, its defense and in most cases for its spontaneous healing, leads him again to find in nature, inert or living, mineral, vegetable or animal, the remedies for bodily ills. The medical doctor would not, be ,corresponding fully to the ideal of his vocation if-while profiting from the most recent advances of the medical sciences and art-he used as a ·practitioner merely his intelligence and his ability; and if did not also make use (and We were about to say, above all) of his heart as a man, and of his loving tenderness as a Christian. He is not working wit.h "anima viIi" with the lower nat.ure undoubtedly; his ministrations are to bodies but to bodies ani-mated with immortal and spiritual souls. By virtue of a mysterious but indissoluble bond between the physical and the moral, he acts ... THE LIN ACRE QUARTERLY 8 efficaciously on the body only when, at the same time, he is acting on the spirit. Whether he be dealing with the body or the human being in its entirety, the Christian doctor will always have to beware of the fascination of science and the temptation of using his knowledge and his art for ends other than the care of the patients entrusted to 'him. " We thank God, however, that he will never have to defend I himself against another temptation - and it is a criminal r i temptation - that of making the gifts hidden by God in the Ii ,heart of nature to serve base interests, inadmissable passions and inhuman outrage. Alas, We need not seek far, or go back far, to find concrete examples of these hateful abuses. For example, the disintegration of the atom and the production of atomic energy is one thing; but it is a different thing to use it for destruction beyond all control. -The magnificent progress of the most modern techniques in aviation . is one thing; but the wide employment of squadrons of bombers, ;;:' without the possibility of limiting their action to military and ' \ . ' strategic objectives, is quite another. It is one thing to engage in respectful investigation revealing the beauty of God in the mirror of His works, and His power in the force of nature; but it is quite another thing to deify that nature and its material forces through the denial of their Aut.hor. f ? What, on the contrary, does the medical doctor worthy of his vocation do? He dominates these Sllme forces, these natural prop-ert.ies, in order to obtain from them healing, health, and vigor and often, what is even more precious, prevention of illness and preser-vation from infection and epidemics. In his hands the formidable power of radioactivity is harnessed and controlled for the cure of diseases resisting aU other treatment. The properties of poisons, even the most virulent, serve for the prepamtion of the most effica-cious medicines. Even the germs of infection are employd in all manner of ways in serotherapy and in vaccination. Natural and Christian morality maintains, finally, everywhere its imprescriptible rights and it is from these, and not from any considerations of feelings or of muterialistic and naturalistic THE LINACRE QUARTERLY philanthropy that the essential principles of medical deontology (the science of duty or moral obligation) are derived: such as the '. dignity of the human body, the pre-eminence of the soul over the body, the brotherhood of all men, the sovereign domain of God over life and destiny. We have already had many occasions to speak on a good number of special points regarding medical morality, but now We have here a question of the first order which, with no less urgency than other questions, requires the light of Catholic moral doctrine : , it is artificial insemination. We could not allow this present opportunity to pass without indicating briefly the general . outline of the moral judgment on this subject. 1) The practice of artificial insemination, when it is applied I to man, cannot be considered exclusively, nor even principally, from the biological and medical viewpoint, while leaving aside the viewpoint of morality and law. 2) Artificial insemination outside marriage is to be condemned purely and .simply as immoral. In fact, the natural law and the positive Divine Law are such , : that the procreation of a new life may only be the fruit of . I marriage. Marriage alone safeguards the dignity of husband and wife--and in the present' case, particularly of the wife--and their personal well-being. Marriage alone provides for the good and the education of the child. Consequently, there is no possibility of any divergency of opinion among Catholics regarding the condemnation of artificial insemination outside marriage. A child conceived in such conditions is by that fact alone, illegitimate. 3) Artificial insemination in marriage with the use of an active ' element from a third person is equally immoral and as such is to i be rejected summarily. Only the marriage partners have mutual rights over their bodies for the procreation of a new life and these are exclusive, non-transferable and inalienable rights. So it must be out of consideration for the child. . By virtue of this same bond, nature imposes on · whoever gives life to a small creature the task of its preservation and education. THE LIN ACRE QUARTERLY Between the marriage partners, however, and a child which is the fruit of the active element of a third person---even though the husband consents-there is no bond of origin, no moral or juridical hond of conjugal procreation. 4) With regard to the lawfulness of artificial insemination in marriage, it is sufficient for Us at present to recall the principles of the natural law: the simple fact that the desired result is obtained by this means does not justify the employment of that method itself; nor does the desire of the marriage partners-most legitimate in itself-to have a child, suffice to prove the lawful-ness of a recourse to artificial insemination for the fulfillment of that desire. It would be false to believe that the possibility of a recourse to that method would render a marriage valid between two persons who are unfitted to 'contract a marriage because of the impediment of impotency. Moreover, it is superfluous to indicate that the active element can never be lawfully attained by acts that are contrary to nature. ! Although one may not exclude "a priori" the use of new methods simply on the grounds that they are new, nevertheless, artificial insemination is something which must not just be regarded with extreme reserve, but must be utterly rejected. With such a pronouncement, one does not necessarily proscribe the use of certain artificial methods intended simply either to facilitate the f1atural act or to enable the natural act, effected in a normal Illanner, to attain its end. Let it not be forgotten that the procreation alone of a new life, according to the will and the plan of the Creator, carries with it Ull amazing degree of perfection and the realization of intended nilllS. It is at the same time in conformity with the corporal and Npirituul nature and the dignity of the marriage partners and with the normal and happ)' development of the child. Your sincerely religious spirit and your present conduct, dear HOIlS and duughtel's, ure the pledge of your unfailing fidelity to nIl your duties as Catholic medical doctors and a pledge also of your desire to contribute by your example and your influence toward /' .............. ----------r 6 THE LINACRE QUARTERLY encouraging among your colleagues und your pupils, among your I patients and their families, the principles with which you yourselves are inspired. It is with this confidence that We give with all the I effusion of Our paternal heart to you, to all those you represent J here, to your families and to nil those who are dear to 'you Our Apostolic Blessing. • J · • I • I 

The Holy Father Condemns Artificial Insemination

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The Holy Father Condemns Artificial Insemination

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