Fertility treatment - the Roman Catholic View.

by gytg (student)

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Dear Jo and Jeremy,

I am writing this letter regarding your queries on your current situation. I understand that you have been attempting for a child for six years now, but to only discover Jeremy’s low sperm count – decreasing the chance if a baby. As a solution IVF treatment is accessible for your needs, however it may cause problems among your faith as a Roman Catholic; which will be discussed further throughput this letter.

It is believed in the Roman Catholic Church that life begins at conception therefore any techniques aiding infertility must react appropriately and respect this opinion. As a result any artificial insemination or IVF treatments are acceptable, however once the egg and sperm have been fertilised it cannot be wasted or destroyed as this does not follow your religions belief that “Life is God’s gift”. Fortunately, any of Jo’s eggs can be frozen for future attempts if you are unsuccessful in your first treatments – none of these frozen will be embryo’s therefore you are not freezing a life, accepting the Roman Catholic view. But more than one embryo is inserted into Jo therefore there is a chance that not all of them will develop into fetus’ and could be interpreted as ‘killing’.

Also, the two of you (Jo and Jeremy) have been married for eight years proving that in the eyes of the church you’re approved to receive this fertility treatment, as you are in a strong, lasting relationship appropriate for a child.

On the other hand if your IVF treatment fails it is against your religion to use a donor’s sperm in replacement of Jeremy’s implying you may be unable to have a child if you want to strictly follow your faith and its rules. As said by Pope Puis XII using a donor is “mechanical adultery” therefore it ...