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REVIEW: Jérôme Lejeune: A Man of Science and Conscience

By Patti Armstrong

Dr. Jérôme Lejeune changed the world. This French pediatrician and pioneer in genetics was most notable for finding the genetic cause of Down syndrome—an extra chromosome in pair 21—in 1958. On January 21, 2021, 27 years after his death, he was declared venerable by Pope Francis, not for his worldly accomplishments, but for his “heroic virtues” in staying true to his Catholic faith.

In Jérôme Lejeune: A Man of Science and Conscience, author Aude Dugast chronicles a compelling portrait of this humble, world-renowned scientist who lost worldly accolades by defending preborn babies at a time when the scientific community began caving to a eugenicist mindset through abortion. And when the development of genetic testing in utero began to create a seek-and-destroy mentality, Lejeune soundly condemned it.

This biography is the culmination of 11 years of interviews that offer glimpses of the tender love Lejeune had for his wife and five children alongside his great scientific accomplishments and his devotion to Christ and his Catholic faith.

To read the remainder of this book review, visit clmagazine.org/post/review-jerome-lejeune-a-man-of-science-and-conscience.

To read more inspirational and educational pro-life articles, visit the Celebrate Life Magazine website at clmagazine.org.