Infertility and Catholicism
The two will never go hand in hand because one opposes the other. Infertility and Catholicism are science on one side and the church or the faith on the other. Ever since infertility treatment was invented the Catholic Church has been firm in is belief that it was wrong. It was the head of the Catholic Church, The Pope, that made the decision and in 1990 he clearly stated that infertility and Catholicism don’t mix.
By this statement The Pope said that it is not a human right to have children. Not because of their personality, their education or even their ability to be good parents, but simply due to a human “malfunction” in the reproduction system.
The Words of the Pope
When it comes to the subject of why infertility and Catholicism the Catholic Church is very clear and very strict. Children are meant to be conceived in the relationship between and husband and his wife and to be blessed with the love that exists between the two parents. This always applies and that is for both unnatural and natural means of becoming pregnant. So in the eyes of the church the infertility help should only be given to couples that are married to each other. Becoming pregnant through scientific means is not what the Catholic Church considers right and therefore they will not approve it. Just because it is possible doesn’t mean that it is right in the eyes of god. Infertility and Catholicism clash because the church feels that conception is the beginning of life and a dish is not the realm of the husband and wife coming together for sex.
One of the things that make it hard for infertility and Catholicism to work together is that the Catholic Church does not allow any spare embryos to be created and discarded. This is one of the main ingredients in the treatment of infertility as doctors will only use the embryos that they feel are viable and mature. Every low quality embryo is discarded which is a terrible thing in the eyes of the Catholic Church. However the Church does not have a problem with treatments of infertility is:
- No donor sperm is used
- No spare embryos are created
- The treatment is for a married couple (man and wife) and through an intercourse
- No surrogate mothers are used
This leaves only the use of infertility drugs. Using drugs is very seldom a healthy thing for your body but as a Catholic it is still an approved option.
What Do You Do If You Are Catholic?
If you are stuck in the middle between infertility and Catholicism the option mentioned above is the only solution available to you if you do not wish to go against the Catholic Church. Being a strong believer has never been the “easy way out”.
A second option that will help you work your way around the infertility and Catholicism problem is to adopt. If you’re Catholic this can always be done through a Catholic organization.
Infertility, Infertility and Catholicism