KNOWN by GOD W
hen is the beginning of human personhood? It’s the central
thought of as a mark or stain that disfigures the soul. However, original sin really is a privation, a lack of sanctifying grace, question around the ethics of controversial issues such as which is the grace of intimate union with God. abortion, human embryo research (cloning, stem cell research and When a man and a woman conceive a child, they each contribute to the creation of a new life entirely different from the formation of mixed-species chimeras) and the use of abortifacients. either of them. But that’s natural life. Every human person also has a supernatural life, a soul. This can’t be created by There’s no question about when life begins. It’s a scientific the parents because supernatural life requires a supernatufact that human life begins at fertilization or conception. But when is that human life actually a human being, a person? ral creator. So, at the moment of conception, God infuses That’s more of a philosophical question, and it’s the true a soul, made of spirit just like him, into the newly created material body. All of us born with original sin receive a soul nature of the abortion debate because a person is afforded deprived of sanctifying grace … but not Mary. She received certain legal rights. It’s unlawful to intentionally kill a human the fullness of sanctifying grace, more than anyone ever had person, but is a zygote a person? Does a fetus have the same M ar c or ever will have. rights as a person? Ca rd onar el l a The point is, God was intentional about who Mary was Catholic doctrine states the human being begins at concepis director of and would be from her very beginning. She is immaculately tion. Catechism of the Catholic Church 2270 says, “Human life the Office of must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment conceived for a singular purpose, to be the mother of the Catechesis and of conception. From the first moment of his savior Jesus Christ, and God had this in mind Faith Formation existence, a human being must be recognized for her from the start. Not at eight days after implantation, not at 14 days after twinning as having the rights of a person — among occurs, not at neural functioning, fetal viawhich is the inviolable right of every innocent To see more examples being to life.” bility or birth. At fertilization. At conception. of how the beliefs we There are many ways to approach this Personhood and life are inextricably bound hold about Mary point question using not only philosophy but also together from the very beginning of life. That’s to the beginning of bioethics, politics, genetics, medical practice because every person is known by God and human personhood, or even popular opinion. I want to look at created with intention as male or female. God visit CatholicKey.org. this from the perspective of faith. There are knows who they will be from the moment certain truths of the Catholic Faith that, if life is created and a soul is infused because he has a plan and purpose for everyone. No randomness. No they are indeed true (some of which Catholics are obliged to mistakes. That holds true for you, as well. accept as true), then certain other things must also be true. So, if you truly believe the Immaculate Conception is true, The most fundamental of these truths is the Immaculate Conception. This doctrine states that by a singular grace, the it’s hard not to believe human personhood begins at fertilBlessed Virgin Mary, from the moment of her conception, was ization. This means even after a few days that zygote has the rights of a person including the right to life. preserved from original sin. What is original sin? It’s commonly
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Catholic Key • February/March 2022 • catholickey.org
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catechism co r n e r
