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‘Be Not Afraid!’ - Archbishop Raymond L. Burke
Introduction
In the discussion of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Missouri, known as Amendment 2, on the ballot for this coming Nov. 7, a most important consideration is the exploitation of women, which it involves. As a shepherd of God’s flock, I am deeply concerned for all involved in the evils of human cloning and the destruction of the human embryo to harvest its stem cells. My first concern, of course, is for the most innocent and defenseless humans involved, namely the human embryos cloned through somatic cell nuclear transfer.
I am also deeply concerned for the women who are necessarily involved in the process of human cloning. In order to perform human cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer, scientists must first procure human eggs from which to remove the nucleus, in order to replace it with the nucleus of a somatic or body cell of the donor with whom the cloned human will be identical. Human cloning requires the harvesting of eggs from women who are exploited to accomplish the purposes of its proponents. As Christians, we must address the immorality of such exploitation.
Cooperation in grave moral evil
The woman who subjects herself to the harvesting of her eggs for human cloning participates in a grave moral evil, the artificial generation of human life. The many deceptions involved in the language of Amendment 2 — for example, the statement that it bans human cloning when, in fact, it gives the constitutional right to clone human beings — should make us realize that women will be asked to cooperate in the process without the necessary explanation of the moral implications of their cooperation.
The natural moral law prohibits any woman from cooperating in the act of human cloning. It also prohibits her from taking part in a process that results in the killing of a human being at the embryonic stage of development. A woman’s cooperation in the twin evils of human cloning and the destruction of human embryos for the sake of the harvesting of stem cells is never justified.
Inherent danger to women
Another moral question involves the danger to which the woman exposes herself. In order to produce the volume of eggs needed for cloning, women are given strong hormonal treatments to stimulate their ovaries to produce an unnatural number of eggs. The same drugs are administered to women who are undergoing certain treatments for infertility. From their experience, we know that a percentage of women will develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which is most painful and can even result in death.
In order to harvest the eggs, the woman is placed under anesthesia. The harvesting process itself involves serious risks for the woman. After the harvesting of the eggs, some women have remained irreversibly sterile. Another study indicates that hyperstimulation of a woman’s ovaries can lead to stillbirths and defects at birth in her future pregnancies.
It should not surprise us that the artificial stimulation of woman’s ovaries has other serious side effects. The human body is not a machine but a living organism. When we manipulate the organism to do what we want, instead of what nature does, we damage the organism and introduce disease into it. Hyperstimulation for the purpose of obtaining an unnatural production of eggs in a woman can lead to damage of the liver, kidney failure, blood clots and stroke. Some studies have also linked the drugs used for hyperstimulation with ovarian cancer.
Woman becomes a commodity
Apart from the serious danger to which human cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer subjects a woman, it also makes her a commodity to be used for the purposes of the scientific research of a few and their eventual large financial profits. The great gift of fertility in a woman, the natural production of the human egg for reproduction, now becomes an object for manipulation by those who promote human cloning. The whole process is dehumanizing for the woman. The abuse of women by Woo-suk Hwang, the South Korean researcher whose fraudulent claims to have cloned human embryos were recently uncovered, are eloquent testimony of the grave moral and physical dangers to women, which human cloning involves.
As archbishop, I am deeply concerned for the poor and young women who may be attracted to egg donation, in order to obtain money to pay debts or put food on the table. As Dr. Pia de Solenni of the Family Research Council observed: "In the name of science, the industry will literally have its hands inside the bodies of hundreds of millions of poor, disadvantaged women." Reflecting upon the Golden Rule, we ask: Would we want our mother, our sister, our wife or our daughter to become the object of egg donation?
Further reflection
In considering the grave moral crisis for our state and nation, which Amendment 2 represents, please give reflection to the moral and physical exploitation of women involved in human cloning for embryonic stem-cell research. If you wish further information, I recommend to you the booklet, "Women’s Voices against Cloning: Exploiting Women in the Name of Science," available through the archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate. The Web site, www.handsoffourovaries.com gives strong voice to the grave implications of human cloning for women.
I also recommend to you the blog of Chelsea Zimmerman of Holts Summit, Mo., reflection sofaparalytic.com. She is a quadriplegic as a result of a spinal cord injury sustained in an automobile accident when she was a junior in high school. Her reflections are an eloquent testimonial to the Gospel of Life and a true help to anyone who wants to understand the profound moral implications of Amendment 2, especially for women.
I ask you to continue praying the rosary for safeguarding embryonic human life. In your prayer, also ask our Blessed Mother to protect all women from the grave harm of cooperation in human cloning.