Fertility Assistance

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mrswolf02

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Hello, I am in the inquiry stage of converting to Catholicism. My husband was a cradle Catholic.

We have been married for 12 years and have suffered 3 miscarriages early on in our marriage. The first was an ectopic pregnancy and destroyed my fallopian tube. I also have pcos which also makes things difficult when trying to conceive.

We have been unsuccessful for 10 years and are considering many options and am wondering what the current views of fertility assistance is in the church. However we go about becoming parents it will be with love. From what I have tried to find certain situations are considered immoral as part of the process will include self gratification (which in a married relationship parts of this doesnt seem like a big deal if it is part of the act anyway at home)I’m excited and eager to join the church however my heart has been broken again learning that the assistance we may need is frowned upon based on the decade old articles and forums I’ve found on the matter.

Would we be shunned or would our resulting child/ren be turned away or condemned by the church in anyway? If we participated in embryo adoption vs our own ivf/artificial insemination cycle would that child have same worries? Would medications to help induce ovulation be considered taboo as well? What about surgeries to help improve fertility?
 
First of all, all babies are welcomed by the Church, regardless of how they were conceived.

That being said, the Church teaches that babies must be conceived the natural way, anything that would help facilitate that would be considered moral, so fertility drugs and surgery to correct for problems are permitted.

I
 
I suggest you read Donum Vitae and Dignitas Personae. You can find them on the Vatican website or just Google them.

We do not have an absolute right to children and cannot pursue them through immoral means or by treating them as commodities.

Assistance of the natural process of marital intercourse is moral— surgery to correct problems, medication to help ovulate. Replacing the marital act can never be moral- IVF, surrogacy, heterologous or homologous insemination, egg donation— none of these are moral.
 
mrswolf02 said:
learning that the assistance we may need is frowned upon
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Well, first it isn’t “frowned upon” it is morally wrong. And if you believe rhe Church teaches the truth then it should be a relief rather than a burden that you’ve learned this. It will hopefully prevent you from doing something morally wrong.

And as for it being assistance you need, you don’t need it. You may desire it, but often our desires lead us astray. Thankfully the Church gives us a strong moral formation to resist technology that tempts us to do what we should not. Not all things that can be done, should be done. Even when pursuing a good, we may never do evil in that pursuit. Knowing these things are wrong, we can discard them from our mind and pursue moral avenues, being charitable through adoption, or doing nothing extraordinary towards the end of children and serving the Lord in other capacities.
 
Hello,

The position of our Church can be resumed on a essential point: we cannot conceived children by technology outside of marital intercourse. It is a question of morality, but also justice for the children conceived, and respect of the dignity of the couple.

And, yes, it included embryo adoption. And more, for the child, it will means that he is born, on purpose, of people what is not his real parents.

We can discuss of the details, but others procedures, you describe, such as such as surgery and hormones can be moral.

You can look at this institute to have a more accurate vision of what it can imply in a catholic perspective. And even contact a specialist if there is one in your area.


We have all to carry our burdens. Some struggle with infertility, others with fertility (sad irony), or in their marriage, child-rearing… But we all need to support others in making the right choices.
We can make mistakes and be forgiven by confession, but it is better to have an informed conscience to avoid if possible.
That is the purpose of our answers.
 
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