Test Your Pro-Life I.Q

[Xenon-135]

There were some inserts in our Sunday Bulletin this morning at Mass. Our associate pastor made a specific effort to encourage us to read the entire bulletin. Most of the information was addressing issue of October being Respect Life Month. On one of the pages there was printed “Test Your Pro-Life I.Q.” It was a 11 question multiple choice quiz, with one bonus question regarding the Didache.

I won’t provide the whole quiz, but question 4 is causing me some problems and I think the provided answer is incorrect. The question is worded as follows:

1. Which of the following are condemned by the Catholic Church? (a) In-vitro fertilization. (b) Fertility drugs. (c) Human embryonic stem cell research.

The provided answer was “ALL”

As it is, I presently suffer from infertility and am taking the drug Clomid as prescribed by my endocrinologist. Perhaps I am in a different circumstance being a male who is being treated for infertility because of being azeo spermatic. In any circumstance, I think the answer “ALL” is false, because there are fertility drugs and treatments that are considered “licit” and “legitimate” by the Church.

I am hoping to find some documents, encyclicals, or things of the such that discuss the means of fertility treatment that is accepted by the Church and those DRUGS that are rejected. I am hoping someone here can help.

Please let me know what you all think about this, and how I might approach our associate pastor if I need to on this issue.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Thom

 

[Toni]

I would ask your priest and look into EWTN and ask for the information on the Doctor that was on and they have a hospital where they have researched this information. It was named after one of the Pope’s but the name escapes me. You may want to just type Pope and hospital in search and see what comes up. Last I heard Clomad was not an acceptable choice but I am unsure if it was in the case of a man. Your best bet would be to look into that site or talk to your priest.

 

[Xenon-135]

Thanks for the tip Toni. I have been scouring the web, but nothing as of yet. In fact, I haven’t found anything that supports the statement that the Church objects to the use of Clomid at all, regardless; male or female.

The web turned up all kinds of objectional trash too. (sometimes I wish I could curse on C.A…)

Hopefully somebody out there will have some hints on this matter.

Thom

 

[Xenon-135]

Toni:

I would ask your priest and look into EWTN and ask for the information on the Doctor that was on and they have a hospital where they have researched this information. It was named after one of the Pope’s but the name escapes me. You may want to just type Pope and hospital in search and see what comes up. Last I heard Clomad was not an acceptable choice but I am unsure if it was in the case of a man. Your best bet would be to look into that site or talk to your priest.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

As far as I know, the use of fertility drugs is acceptable because they are simply helping the fertility function normally (which makes them the opposite of birth control which seeks to impede that function).

 

[Xenon-135]

undefined Alrighty, here is what my research has turned up thus far

The communiqué the academy issued after its fertility conference restated positions in the 1987 document on reproduction known as Donum Vitae, or “Gift of Life,” from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s orthodoxy watchdog.

The academy said that any treatment that substitutes for sex between a husband and wife is illicit because the embryo isn’t the fruit of the “conjugal union.” However, medical therapies are permitted that “facilitate” reproduction through sex between a husband and wife, the academy said. No examples were cited, but many Catholic theologians agree that fertility drugs and surgery to overcome tubal blockages are allowed.

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdlife/documents/rc_pont-acd_life_doc_20040316_x-gen-assembly-final_en.html

It seems to us, rather, that all those efforts that modern medicine can make in an attempt to cure forms of conjugal sterility should be very strongly welcomed and encouraged. As the Supreme Pontiff himself has declared: “I would like to encourage scientific research that seeks a natural way to overcome the infertility of the spouses, and likewise to urge all specialists to perfect those procedures that can serve this end. I hope that the scientific community - I appeal particularly to those scientists who are believers - may advance reassuringly on the road to true prevention and authentic treatment” (Address, n. 3).

By way of a confirmation of the sincerity of these hopes, we would like to point out that during this General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, a number of practical programmes were presented of notable scientific interest for the therapy and treatment of certain forms of sterility in couples.

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdlife/documents/rc_pont-acd_life_doc_20040316_x-gen-assembly-final_en.html

1. Rather, it is the scientist’s task to investigate the causes of male and female infertility, in order to prevent this situation of suffering in spouses who long to find “in their child a confirmation and completion of their reciprocal self-giving” (Donum Vitae, II, A, n. 1). Consequently, I would like to encourage scientific research that seeks a natural way to overcome the infertility of the spouses, and likewise to urge all specialists to perfect those procedures that can serve this end. I hope that the scientific community - I appeal particularly to those scientists who are believers - may advance reassuringly on the road to true prevention and authentic treatment.

1. The Pontifical Academy for Life will not fail to do everything in its power to encourage every valid initiative which aims to avoid the dangerous manipulation that is part of the processes of artificial procreation.

May the community of the faithful itself strive to support authentic research channels and, when making decisions, resist technological possibilities that replace true parenthood and is therefore harmful to the dignity of both parents and children.
In support of these wishes, I cordially impart my Blessing to you all, which I willingly extend to all your loved ones.

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2004/february/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20040221_plenary-acad-life_en.html

So, it seems that fertility drugs are acceptable. At least certain ones. Now how do I bring this information to the attention of my Parish in a tactful manner?

Thom