Biomedical Ethics

The Diocese of Des Moines through the Catholic Charities Social Justice Consortium is offering resources and information related to what the Catholic Church teaches on biomedical ethics.

Overview

For an overview on what issues fall under the realm of biomedical ethics, and what the Catholic Church teaches on them, read this insightful article by Father Laird of the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minneapolis.

Resources

Established in 1972, the National Catholic Bioethics Center conducts research, consultation, publishing and education to promote human dignity in health care and the life of sciences, deriving its message from the teachings of the Catholic Church.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops offers a number of resources one can purchase or read online that include documents from the Vatican and teachings by the U.S. bishops.

Here are a number of documents providing a Catholic perspective on human life and dignity.

Dignitas personae: The Dignity of a Person (in English), in Spanish
Evangelium Vitae: Gospel of Life (in English), in Spanish

Humanae Vitae (in English), in Spanish

Donum Vitae: Instruction on Respect for Human Life (in English), in Spanish

Ethical and Religious directives for Catholic Health Care Service, fifth edition
Bishop Richard Pates guest column in The Des Moines Register on stem cells

A letter from Bishop Pates to parishes in Pottawattamie County on the possibility of the establishment of a late-term abortion clinic opening there.

A Letter to the Editor by Bishop Pates in the Des Moines Register on the possibility of a late-term abortion clinic opening in Council Bluffs.

For more information contact the Diocese of Des Moines.