Does the Catholic Church have a position on using animals for research purposes (assuming that it’s done in approved ways and in a manner that has been deemed ethical by the appropriate ethics committees)?
God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives (CCC 2417).
Of course, those who do use animals for such purposes should be careful to continually evaluate the need for live animal experimentation, work to create viable alternative research methods, and seek to treat research animals humanely and with consideration toward alleviating unnecessary pain. To encourage manufacturers to take such precautions, it could be meritorious for consumers to make a point of patronizing those companies that have created safe, quality products without experimentation on animals.
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