The forgotten reality of in vitro fertilization and surrogacy
By Caitlyn Trader | For On Mission
St. John Chrysostom beautifully stated, “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together.”
The sacrament of matrimony is a glorious vocation. There are two primary goals (or ends) of marriage: union and procreation (Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, 12). Union occurs when a married man and woman give themselves completely to each other in the marital act, and the procreative end is accomplished so long as husband and wife are open to children, even if infertility presents itself.
Infertility is a tremendous cross and may cause much frustration, which is only natural. In fact, many scriptural witnesses suffered from infertility, including Sarah (Genesis 17:15-21), Rebekah (Genesis 25), Rachel (Genesis 30), Hannah (1 Samuel 1) and Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin (Luke 1).
While conceiving a child is a wonderful gift, we must always remember that “[a] child is not something owed to one, but is a gift” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2378). Infertility or the desire for a child does not mean that couples can use every tool science has made available to conceive.
Despite the good intentions of many couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) fails to respect the life and dignity of each child from conception and fails to respect the sacrament of matrimony.
When a couple uses IVF, embryos are created in a Petri dish. Every human embryo is a human being who “has … from the very beginning, the dignity proper to a person” (Dignitas Personae, 5). IVF involves the practice of creating human beings in a laboratory, outside of the protective and loving womb of the mother.
Not only is IVF an assault on the embryo’s dignity, it also disregards the unitive end of marriage.
Embryos that result from IVF, but which are not implanted into the mother’s womb, are often frozen in liquid nitrogen: human beings are stored in a freezer, one of the greatest abuses on human dignity. If the liquid nitrogen runs out, the human embryos die.
Sometimes these embryos are used for research, which the Church clearly forbids (see Donum vitae). Other times, fertility clinics put limits on the length of time a couple can keep their embryos frozen, meaning that after a certain period, the embryos will be removed from liquid nitrogen, thereby killing them.
If several embryos are transferred into a woman’s womb after IVF, some of these embryos may be “selectively reduced,” that is, a medical professional may kill the extra embryo(s) — a form of abortion (Dignitas Personae, 21).
Scientists sometimes perform a preimplantation diagnosis and effectively choose which embryos — i.e., human beings — live versus which are killed based upon potential maladies or certain traits, a grievous assault to human dignity (Dignitas Personae, 22).
Sometimes IVF lends itself to the practice of surrogacy, which is likewise immoral. Similar to IVF, marital union cannot occur with surrogacy. Additionally, every child has a right to grow and be nurtured in his or her mother’s womb, which is impossible with surrogacy.
The Church teaches, “Surrogate motherhood represents an objective failure to meet the obligations of maternal love, of conjugal fidelity and of responsible motherhood; it offends the dignity and the right of the child to be conceived, carried in the womb, brought into the world and brought up by his own parents; it sets up, to the detriment of families, a division between the physical, psychological and moral elements which constitute those families” (Donum Vitae, II.A.3).
IVF and surrogacy are certainly fraught with moral problems. Given the failure of both techniques to respect the life and dignity of children, as well as the gift of marriage, the Church clearly teaches that both IVF and surrogacy are immoral. (For more, see this document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.)
That said, anyone who is conceived through IVF or had a surrogate mother is a gift from God.
The Catholic Church does not intend to shame anyone who has used IVF or surrogacy. On the contrary, the Church opposes both to ensure that everyone is treated with the respect that is their due by virtue of being a beloved child of God.
For those who may have used these techniques and experience regret, God is merciful. As Scripture affirms, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). The Lord is waiting to forgive all of us, for whatever sins we have committed, in the sacrament of confession.
If a married couple is unable to have children, adoption is a beautiful option, or couples may decide to give of their time and energy to an organization that supports a cause of great significance to them (see CCC 2379).
Suffering — including infertility — is not the end of the story: after Jesus’ death comes His Resurrection. For every Good Friday, there is an Easter Sunday. For those suffering from infertility and seeking medical assistance, please consider contacting a physician who adheres to Catholic teaching.
Finally, if you or someone you know has embryos frozen at a fertility clinic, but are now wondering what to do with them, please consider contacting The National Catholic Bioethics Center. They can provide more advice about how to navigate this issue.
Let us thank God for the gift of life!
Caitlyn Trader holds a Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) and Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill., and a master of science in bioethics from the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. She is a lecturer of systematic theology and works in the field of bioethics.