HUMAN MONSTER. – An individual who presents one or more anomalies such as to render him gravely aberrant from normality (v. TERATOLOGY). The human monster interests moral theology for two questions, one of which need only be touched upon, while the other requires more thorough examination.
I. Right to life in the human monster
To the question whether it is lawful to diminish the chances of life or even to kill deformed infants, the answer is negative, because to any human being, even one whose human life is doubtful, the divine precept "Thou shalt not kill" applies, which safeguards the primary and fundamental right to life (v. ABORTION). Consequently, in cases of monstrosity in which the existence of two living individuals is presumed, the intervention which suppresses one is illicit. This remains true even in cases in which the duality of persons is doubtful, as in the case of the autosite and parasite. Only in cases in which the parasite is reduced to a mere mass or to some limbs, amputation is licit, since the unity of the person of the human monster is certain.II. Baptism of human monsters
According to the CIC, can. 748, bis, two cases must be distinguished: 1) Simple human monsters may give rise to doubts concerning the existence of human life, as in the case of the acardiac monster. If human life is certain, Baptism is to be conferred absolutely; if in doubt, however, Baptism is to be conferred conditionally under the form "if thou art a man." The contrary opinion of some theologians or moralists who would exclude acardiac monsters from Baptism because they lack essential organs for human life (cf. B. H. Merkelbach, op. cit. in bibliography) is not to be followed in practice. This must be done instead when the product of birth is constituted by a fleshy mass in the form (which moralists call "mola"), although here too one must diligently observe beforehand whether a true human fetus is not concealed within the fleshy mass.2) Double and multiple monstrosities may give rise to doubt whether one or more persons are involved. If the human monsters have double heads and chests, while only the lower part of the body is common, it is clear that there is a plurality of persons, and the individual components of the monstrous aggregate are to be baptized absolutely. If the human monsters have only double chests and heads, the plurality is doubtful, and then one of the components is baptized absolutely, the others conditionally.
3) Physicians and midwives and anyone who, by virtue of their office, is aware of the existence of a human monster in a given family are bound by professional secrecy. Others, at least out of a duty of charity, must not spread the news, since the sorrow which would thereby be caused to the family can easily be imagined.