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Donum Vitae, Dignitas Personae, and the Morality of Embryo Adoption

Bioethics & the Body
Parallel Paper
June 26, 2021
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This lecture will present a careful review of important terminology that is used in both Donum vitae and Dignitas personae to help define frequently misleading and even mistaken concepts and terms that can often lead to erroneous conclusions when discussing Artificial Reproductive Techniques (ARTs). Specifically, this lecture will focus on Donum vitae I.3 and n. 2275 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which provide strong magiste­rial support for the liceity of embryo transfer and, ultimately, for the morality of embryo adoption as the only moral solution for “orphaned” embryos. In addition, this lecture will conclude by offering a faithful interpretation and resolution of the difficult passages in Donum vitae I.5 and Dignitas personae n. 19 regarding the magisterial liceity of both embryo transfer and embryo adoption. This lecture is based upon my article titled "The Magisterial Liceity of Embryo Adoption" that was published in the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 15.4 (Winter 2015).

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