Catholic parents’ attitudes towards in vitro fertilisation

Abstract

Over the course of almost half a century of development, in vitro fertilisation techniques have not only become popular and accessible, but have also gained ethical acceptance even in Catholic circles, despite the unequivocally negative assessment of the Church’s Magisterium. The paper addresses the emotional and persuasive arguments of opponents and supporters of this procedure. The serious arguments,revolve around two issues: on the one hand, the fate of embryos that perish in the course of this procedure
and, on the other hand, the separation of the conception of a new person from the parents’ sexual act. These objections have lost none of their relevance and moral weight, which is why Catholic parents, despite the undoubtedly acute suffering that is associated
with infertility, should maintain a critical and distanced outlook on in vitro fertilisation.