Bioethics

The Latest

CRISPR-CAS9 gene editing complex from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Catholics shouldn't totally reject human gene editing – but it still has ethical problems

Apr 11, 2017

By Adelaide Mena

Recent American guidelines for human gene modification have raised important ethical questions, especially with regard to modifying the genes of... Read more

Bionic eye (CC0 1.0).

Can we delete death? Transhumanism's lofty goal meets a Catholic response

Mar 9, 2017

By Adelaide Mena, Mary Farrow

It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie – being able to “upload” our minds to computers to live... Read more

Why is gendercide wrong and screening for Down syndrome okay, advocates ask

Mar 4, 2017

Is it ok to abort a baby who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome? What about if you find out... Read more

Vatican unveils updated healthcare charter as new ethical questions arise

Feb 10, 2017

By Elise Harris

The Vatican has issued an updated version of their charter for healthcare workers, removing question marks from modern ethical concerns... Read more

Who you gonna call (on murky moral issues)? Catholic bioethicists

Jan 1, 2017

By Adelaide Mena

What would you do if you're a young medical student who was told that you must participate in abortion in... Read more

Sofia Vergara.

Sofia Vergara is being sued by her own frozen embryos

Dec 9, 2016

Emma and Isabella are suing their mother, Sofia Vergara, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post.  Read more

The US capitol building.

Democrats, pro-lifers spar over Planned Parenthood investigation

Dec 8, 2016

By Matt Hadro

Following Democratic claims that a House panel investigating Planned Parenthood has found no wrongdoing, pro-life leaders have fired back that... Read more

A scientist holds a petri dish. File Photo.

What are human-animal chimeras, and why are they problematic?

Nov 26, 2016

By Matt Hadro

After the National Institutes of Health proposed federal funding of projects to possibly create a human-animal hybrid, Catholic ethicists voiced... Read more

Critics find dodgy ethics in 'three-parent baby' conception

Sep 29, 2016

The use of a technique to conceive a “three-parent baby” dodged U.S. law and, critics say, may further alter the... Read more

The problem with killing coma patients for their organs

Sep 8, 2016

By Kevin J. Jones

There are severe ethical shortcomings in a British doctor's proposal to help unconscious patients die so their organs can be... Read more

Fertility treatments fall short of expectations

Oct 17, 2014

By Adelaide Mena

Tech giants’ new policies offering egg freezing options as a work benefit overlook the technique’s “highly problematic” failure rates and... Read more

Ethicist: IVF mix-up shows danger of artificial reproduction

Aug 16, 2014

By Adelaide Mena

The accidental swapping of children conceived through IVF procedures before implantation, which recently occurred in Italy, points to the moral... Read more

Msgr. James P. Shea, President of the University of Mary in North Dakota.

University of Mary adds bioethics program to roster

Aug 1, 2014

The University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., has teamed up with the National Catholic Bioethics Center to offer its students... Read more

A laboratory scientist documents research findings.

Stunning adult stem cell developments evoke hope, caution

Feb 7, 2014

Remarkable advancements in stem cell biology are enabling scientists to reprogram mature cells into a variety of different tissues –... Read more

Marie Hilliard, director of bioethics and public policy at the National Catholic Bioethics Center. (File Photo/CNA).

Ethicist: Texas end-of-life debate must consider unborn child

Jan 10, 2014

By Kevin J. Jones

Debate over requiring life support for a reportedly brain-dead pregnant woman should remember both the imperative not to provide excessive... Read more

A view of St. Paul's Hospital.

Catholic bioethicist advises caution in Jahi McMath case

Jan 4, 2014

By Kevin J. Jones

The “tragic” case of teenage girl Jahi McMath – now at the center of a legal controversy over brain death... Read more

Embryonic Stem Cells.

Quest for ethical stem cells prompts moral questions

Aug 23, 2013

By Adelaide Mena

The first human trials for the treatment of blindness using induced pluripotent stem cells has brought the hope of creating... Read more

Father Scott Borgman poses for a photo during a June 7, 2013 interview with CNA in Rome.

Pontifical Academy starts 'Friends for Life'

Jun 10, 2013

The Pontifical Academy for Life has started a group called “Friends for Life” to expand its network around the world.  Read more

Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of Boston speaks at a press conference for the 2012 USCCB Fall General Assembly.

Cardinal 'deeply' troubled by human cloning development

May 15, 2013

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley called the successful production of embryonic stem cells by cloning human embryos an “abuse” which ignores... Read more

A portrait of Shinya Yamanaka.

Nobel-winning stem cell work helps curtail embryonic research

Oct 8, 2012

By Carl Bunderson

Moral theologian Father Thomas Berg is praising the work of Shinya Yamanaka, the winner of this year's Nobel Prize in... Read more