Status of Human Embryo According to the Roman Catholic Teaching.

Abstract

          The purposes of this documentary research were: (1) to study about the status of human embryo according to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church; and (2) to explore the understanding of the status of human embryo from various perspectives such as philosophy, social sciences, physiology and laws.
          The results of this research reveal:
          (1) in Donum Vitae and Dignitas Personae, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the life of human embryo is a human life. It starts from the moment of fertilization and it is a precious gift of God. In addition, even though the Catholic Church does not state very clearly when the status of a human person begins, the Church demands us to respect the human embryo as a human person.
          (2) The studies from various perspectives including the perspectives of philosophy, physiology, social sciences and laws revealed that they have different views on the status of human embryo. They do not inform clearly when we should respect and protect human embryo as a human person. Therefore, all of these perspectives cannot be referred as a firm foundation of determining when a human person begins.