Why Does the Catholic Church reject IVF?

Question: Many couples worldwide are experiencing infertility and turning to in vitro fertilisation to have a baby. What is behind the Church’s rejection of this type of fertility treatment?

Answer: The Catholic Church’s rejection of in vitro fertilisation may seem harsh, as for many couples, IVF represents their last hope of experiencing the joy of having a child. However, the Church’s opposition to IVF is an integral part of its pro-life teachings, which hold that all human life, from conception to death, is sacred. The Church maintains that the act of creating life must respect this sanctity.

In the process of IVF, multiple embryos are created in a laboratory. That moment of conception marks the beginning of a new life, a human being with a unique genetic identity and the inherent dignity that comes with being created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

One life born, many lost

Not all of these multiple embryos are implanted in the mother’s womb. Those embryos — human life — that are not selected might be frozen, discarded, destroyed or used for experiments. While a baby may be born, many other lives are lost in the process.

To reduce costs — IVF treatment is very expensive — and to improve the chances of success, doctors sometimes implant five or more embryos in the mother’s womb. This may result in more viable babies than a couple desires (in Canada, a woman reportedly gave birth to five babies following IVF treatment; she sued the doctors for “wrongful births”).

To lower the risk associated with carrying multiple babies, doctors sometimes kill “surplus” foetuses by injecting potassium chloride into their hearts. The unborn child dies within minutes, after which the aborted foetus is expelled as a “miscarriage”.

While the Church does not reject the use of technology in fertility treatment, any process that involves the creation and discarding of embryos and/or the abortion of foetuses is considered intrinsically evil.

God’s plan for marriage

Moreover, in Catholic teaching, procreation is intended to take place through the natural union of husband and wife. The IVF process separates the procreative aspect from the unitive aspect of marriage, as it involves the creation of embryos outside of the marital act. The husband and wife provide the egg and sperm as raw materials, which are then handled in a laboratory to facilitate fertilisation.

In many cases, donor sperm or eggs are used, meaning the child’s genetic mother or father may come from outside the marriage (for that reason, egg or sperm donation for IVF treatment, or embryonic stem cell therapy, is contrary to Catholic teaching). This form of manipulation goes against God’s design for procreation.

In light of the above, it is not licit for Catholics to engage in IVF treatment, especially if they are aware of the Church’s teaching on the matter. Couples who were unaware that IVF is morally wrong, however, are not subjectively guilty of sin if they have conceived a child through this process.

Such children are loved by God and their parents. Like all children —regardless of how they are conceived or born — they deserve love, care and protection.