Stem cell research v. organ donation

[JVonau]

I assume that the Church would favor organ donation of a murder victim who had expressed a willingness to donate:

The free gift of organs after death is legitimate and can be meritorious.(CCC - P2301) and

Organ donation after death is a noble and meritorous act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity. (CCC - P2296)

How is the use of a fetus’ cells different assuming that the researcher had no hand in killing the fetus? Obviously, the fetus could not express his/her wishes re the donation, but his/her parent could.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

You are correct that it would be licit to use the organ donations of a individual murder victim. However, it would be immoral to use the organ donations of a concentration camp. Using such donations legitimizes the moral evil taking place and literally establishes an industry reliant on murder.

In the case of an individual murder victim there is universal acknowledgment of the evil and the victim had expressed a desire to donate his/her organs. In the case of fetal stem cells they have no choice and are even created with the idea that they could be killed and used for this purpose. It would not be long before people were creating fetal stem cell “farms” in which human beings are created with the sole purpose of being destroyed and used for the advantage of others.