(ZENIT News / Washington, 02.14.2025).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a new document offering guidance to Catholics on assisted reproductive technologies, particularly in vitro fertilization (IVF). Titled «A Catholic Introduction to In Vitro Fertilization», the publication outlines the Church’s ethical and theological objections to IVF while also expressing compassion for couples struggling with infertility.
IVF, one of the most widely used fertility treatments, involves stimulating a woman’s ovaries to produce multiple eggs, which are then fertilized in a laboratory. Some resulting embryos are implanted in the womb, while others may be discarded or frozen for future use. The bishops argue that this process raises significant moral concerns, particularly regarding the destruction, freezing, or selective discarding of embryos, which the Church considers human lives from conception.
The bishops likened embryo freezing to imprisonment, asserting that it fails to respect the dignity of the unborn child. Additionally, they emphasized that conception should never be separated from the intimate marital union, warning that IVF introduces an unnatural detachment between spouses. They also criticized the methods used to collect sperm, which typically involve masturbation, as incompatible with Catholic teaching on human sexuality.
“The act of conception is meant to be a result of the loving, intimate union of a husband and wife,” the bishops wrote. “IVF bypasses this union entirely, turning the creation of life into a technological process involving third parties.”
While maintaining their opposition to IVF, the bishops were careful to affirm the worth and dignity of children born through the procedure, emphasizing that every child is a blessing and loved by God. However, they rejected the notion that couples have an inherent “right” to a child, framing parenthood as a gift rather than an entitlement.
The document also condemned surrogacy, a practice in which a fertilized embryo is implanted into another woman who carries the pregnancy to term. The bishops argued that surrogacy commodifies both the child and the surrogate mother, reducing pregnancy to a transaction. Even in cases of altruistic surrogacy where no money is exchanged, they asserted that the surrogate is valued for her reproductive capabilities rather than her personhood.
“In surrogacy agreements, the woman is treated as a means to an end rather than as a mother nurturing her child in the womb,” the document states.
As an alternative, the bishops encouraged couples facing infertility to explore treatments aligned with Catholic teachings, such as restorative reproductive medicine, which aims to address the underlying medical causes of infertility rather than circumventing them. They also pointed to natural family planning resources available through the USCCB website.
The release of this document reaffirms the Church’s long-standing stance on reproductive ethics, reinforcing its commitment to upholding the sanctity of life and the integrity of marital union, even as scientific advancements present new possibilities for conception.
More information: RespectLife.org.
Read the full primer in English.
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