A child must never be "desired or conceived as the product of an intervention of medical or biological techniques; that would be equivalent to reducing him to an object of scientific technology." With those stern words of admonition, the Vatican, acting with the full endorsement of Pope John Paul II, last week denounced virtually all the rapidly spreading methods of artificial procreation, deeming them to be violations of both the rights of man and the laws of God.
That strongly conservative stand was proclaimed in a 40-page document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican agency...