Molecular editing and christian bioethics

Research in molecular genetics has made great advances in recent years that have wide practical applications. At the same time, it has been confirmed that not everything provided by modern genetic research is good and beneficial for humans. In particular, the discovery of the CRISPR/CAS9 method has made it possible to interfere very effectively with an individual’s hereditary characteristics, which has forced doctors, lawyers, ethicists, sociologists, theologians and representatives of churches to take a clear stance on the issue. The need for further scientific development requires the limits of research to be defined in order to avoid irreparable damage to the gene pool of humanity. The aim of this article is to examine the Magisterium of the Catholic Church in dealing with current bioethical issues arising from new scientific discoveries and to present Christian principles in the context of the possibilities offered by molecular editing using CRISPR/CAS9. The position of the Catholic Church on current developments in the field of biomedicine, even at a time of significant biomedical discoveries, is based on a holistic view on human life, its value and mission. In the deepest sense of the word, gene therapy should be a therapy for a specific disease of a given organism that respects the integral good of the human person. Clinical interventions aimed at improving the genome of an individual, and therefore of society, are unacceptable. Human life must not become the object of a eugenic positivist-materialist mentality. The teaching office of the Church promotes scientific development for the common good of humanity and, at the same time, strives to preserve the dignity and integrity of every human being.