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Jesus4Me
Guest
I have a friend who recently got pregnant by artificial means because they couldn’t get pregnant naturally. Is this acceptable according to the Church? I didn’t think it was.
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space_ghost
Guest
…you know your probably in trouble when the word “artificial” is used…
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i recommend boxer shorts…http://www.webundies.com/images/pp009r24.jpg
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msproule
Guest
It depend on what you mean by “artificial means”. Doctors may assist passively (tests, prescriptions, even some forms of surgery intended to improve the liklihood of conception). But active participation in the act of procreation, such as artificial insemination, is immoral:
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2376 Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral. These techniques (heterologous artificial insemination and fertilization) infringe the child’s right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses’ "right to become a father and a mother only through each other."166
2377 Techniques involving only the married couple (homologous artificial insemination and fertilization) are perhaps less reprehensible, yet remain morally unacceptable. They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. the act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that "entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Such a relationship of domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children."167 "Under the moral aspect procreation is deprived of its proper perfection when it is not willed as the fruit of the conjugal act, that is to say, of the specific act of the spouses’ union … Only respect for the link between the meanings of the conjugal act and respect for the unity of the human being make possible procreation in conformity with the dignity of the person."168
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2376 Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other than the couple (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus), are gravely immoral. These techniques (heterologous artificial insemination and fertilization) infringe the child’s right to be born of a father and mother known to him and bound to each other by marriage. They betray the spouses’ "right to become a father and a mother only through each other."166
2377 Techniques involving only the married couple (homologous artificial insemination and fertilization) are perhaps less reprehensible, yet remain morally unacceptable. They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. the act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that "entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Such a relationship of domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children."167 "Under the moral aspect procreation is deprived of its proper perfection when it is not willed as the fruit of the conjugal act, that is to say, of the specific act of the spouses’ union … Only respect for the link between the meanings of the conjugal act and respect for the unity of the human being make possible procreation in conformity with the dignity of the person."168
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Jesus4Me
Guest
space ghost:
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msproule
Guest
Of course, once made aware of this, she must confess to a priest, raise the child Catholic, and never resort to such measures again.
There are other options before going to such an extreme. I know of at least one OB/GYN office in Michigan that practices in accord with Catholic Teaching:
caritascenter.com/
There are other options before going to such an extreme. I know of at least one OB/GYN office in Michigan that practices in accord with Catholic Teaching:
caritascenter.com/
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Jesus4Me
Guest
Having read your first reply to my post I believe the method they chose would be considered a sin. (I won’t go into the “gory details”.) Thanks for the link, also. She is already pregnant so that route won’t be necessary as the route she took was ‘successful’.
I’m not sure if she will be raising the child Catholic. She married a non-Catholic and has fallen away from the Church. I’m not sure if she knew it was a sin or not.
I’ll continue to pray for her.
I’m not sure if she will be raising the child Catholic. She married a non-Catholic and has fallen away from the Church. I’m not sure if she knew it was a sin or not.
I’ll continue to pray for her.
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mari319
Guest
I wish that office were on the other side of the state. I went to a doctor for fertility issues who jumped straight to artificial insemination even though we told him we weren’t interested and really pushed us to do it.
We obviously didn’t stay with him for long.Depending on the situation, there are other ways. I’m now happily pregnant with our first child and didn’t use any “artificial” means.:bounce:
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1ke
Guest
If the child was not conceived through an act of intercourse between husband and wife it falls outside treatments the church considers moral. That would be things like IVF, AI, etc.I have a friend who recently got pregnant by artificial means because they couldn’t get pregnant naturally. Is this acceptable according to the Church? I didn’t think it was.
Things like hormone shots/pills to help the body ovulate or other treatments to correct a defect that will then allow natural conception to take place are fine.
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