Statements by Fr.Miranda, Bioethics Expert

VATICAN CITY, JULY 16 (ZENIT.org).- On July 13, the Pontifical
Council for the Family published a statement affirming that the
technique to reduce multiple embryos in a pregnancy is a form of
procured abortion. ZENIT interviewed Fr. Gonzalo Miranda, expert
in bioethics, to better understand the reasons for the Pontifical
Council's declaration. Fr. Miranda is secretary of the Bioethics
Center of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome
(known as Gemelli, the name of its founder), and professor at the
"Regina Apostolorum" Athenaeum.

"The document published by the Pontifical Council for the Family
simply recalls and underlines some of the essential principles of
Catholic doctrine, which must also be accepted by any honest
person. The immediate reason for the declaration is possibly
linked to the recent case of an Italian woman who is expecting
octets resulting from hyper-stimulation of the ovaries in
assisted reproduction. Now the 'wisemen of the day' come forward
to tell us that it would be best to implement a 'fetal
reduction'; in a word, to eliminate some embryos in order to save
others," Fr. Miranda explained.

"As happens usually, recourse is taken to euphemisms, which even
sound attractive. 'Fetal reduction,' and people respond: 'Of
course, what's wrong? If there are too many, the number must be
reduced...' But no explanation is given as to what the reduction
entails, in order 'not to frighten people.' What is not said is
that in general, a needle is introduced through the thorax or
cardiac cavity of the embryo or fetus, which injects a potassium
chloride or saline solution, or sometimes air, causing the
irremediable death of the unborn baby," Fr. Miranda emphasized.

"Of course, people can always close their eyes, even those of the
mind, so as not to understand that what is growing in the womb of
a pregnant woman is not an accumulation of cells, or an
extraterrestrial being, but simply a human being or, as in this
case, several human beings. I think it is very serious that so
many people favor abortion. But what I think is unheard of, and
gravely symptomatic, is that there are people who are intent
on erasing the unborn (embryos and fetuses) from the roster of
human beings whom we must all respect," Fr. Gonzalo Miranda said.

"A year ago the Italian Chamber of Deputies approved a bill to
regulate artificial insemination, the first article of which
stated that the human embryo must be respected and protected.
However, recently a leftist group in the Senate worked to have
such an 'aberration' deleted from the bill. This is no longer the
case of opposing the rights of a pregnant woman with serious
difficulties to the rights of the embryo or fetus, as defenders
of abortion sometimes argue. Here there is a kind of 'abortion
cruelty,' a real barbaric attitude against the unborn, which
leads to a struggle against any kind of expression or statement
that attempts to protect and defend them," Fr. Miranda alerted.

"The case of the Italian lady from Trapani, whom I mentioned
earlier, pregnant with an octet, must make us doubt the
seriousness with which some centers of Assisted Reproduction
operate," explained the professor. "Since she was subjected to
hyper-stimulation of the ovaries to prepare a technical
intervention for reproduction, it must have been because it was
deemed the only way in which she could become pregnant. In other
words, she or he, or the couple as such, were declared sterile.
Obviously, the sterility was not that certain, given that the
pregnancy resulted from an altogether natural sexual relation. A
mistaken diagnosis? A rash diagnosis? Deceit? A study made a few
years ago showed that among couples waiting for 'in vitro'
fertilization, a percentage that oscillates between 4% and 11%
has a child by 'natural methods.' "

"As long as artificial techniques contribute to fill doctors'
bank accounts more than 'natural methods,' there will always be
some prepared to deceive," Fr. Miranda lamented.
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