Fostering children, a question

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Kathleen18

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I cannot concieve and bear a child. I will always be upfront about that to my future potential husband. And I am happy to adopt. My question is, does fostering children count in the same regard?
 
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Fostering is an act of great mercy and kindness, of compassion and charity.
 
I am sorry that I was not clear. Is fostering regarded the same as “being open to life?” In other words, having my own biological children/adoption.
 
Kathleen18 said:
Is fostering regarded the same as “being open to life?”
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Many people use the term “open to life” but what the Church actually says is that each act of sexual intercourse must be per se ordered to procreation. So when you are married you cannot take any actions to frustrate the marital embrace. A person who is infertile due to disease or defect is free to marry in the Church. Their marital acts are ordered to procreation.

Adoption is a beautiful act of charity. It’s a wonderful thing for a couple to do, whether they have children of their own or not.
 
No, not the same. But given your circumstances as long as you are “ordering towards procreation” it doesn’t mean that you have to be able to conceive.

Fostering is different.

It also comes with many risks. Very often children do not have a TPR (termination of parental rights) until after a foster family has had them for a while.

That said, it IS a vital conversation to have with your future spouse. While you are not required to do so due to infertility, it IS another calling altogether and it’s vital you are on the same page.

For the record, hubby and I did discuss the “what if’s” before marriage. We were both on the same page regarding biological chidlren and adoption.
 
As others have said, being open to life simply means not using contraception or contraceptive practice during intercourse.

There’s no requirement that infertile couples adopt or foster children, although it is a praiseworthy thing to do.
 
Kathleen18 said:
I am sorry that I was not clear. Is fostering regarded the same as “being open to life?” In other words, having my own biological children/adoption.
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You are open to life insofar as you can be. You can’t have kids. But you must be open to the small possibility that God will grant you a miracle and actually bless you with kids.

As far as I’m aware, no Catholic couple is obligated to adopt or foster, though those things are both acts of charity.
 
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