The Roman Catholic Church and Non-therapeutic Circumcision

The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association now defines neonatal circumcision as a “non-therapeutic” surgical procedure.4 Circumcisions (as commonly performed on newborn boys) are non-therapeutic, because no disease is present and no therapeutic treatment is required. Furthermore, circumcision removes healthy and functional tissue from the body and renders the part less functional.5 Thus, a circumcision is a non-therapeutic amputation and mutilation. Therefore, for Catholics, non-therapeutic circumcision at any age is immoral according to the teaching of the Church as expressed in the Catechism.