I was on looking at the news today, and found an interesting take on IVF in a "faith blog" The writer,Sean Savage, presents a case that the Catholic Church should rethink its position on IVF. He presents his own story, which can be read here
Sean has written a book with his wife Carolyn called Inconceivable. After being blessed with 2 sons, they found themselves unable to successfully conceive. Therefore, they sought the help of an infertility clinic and welcomed a daughter after IVF. They tried again a year later. This time, though, an error led to the transfer of the wrong embryos with the ultimate delivery of a child that was not genetically their own.
He then presents his own take on the writings of the Catholic Church on ART. What is amazing is that he ultimately agrees with all of the positions of the Church. He equates an article stating the Catholic belief published at the same time as his last birth as a personal attack, and launches his own in return.
I think that there are some things that bear some light. Please understand that I am not a theologian, but I will try
Donum Vitae used to be one of my favorite foils. In the entire document, the subject of IVF get very little play. It mostly deals with the possibilities of the use of embryos and cloning. At the time I was arguing against this document, I never dreamed that most of the described possibilities could happen. I now know differently.
Dignitas Personae was written by Cardinal Levada, the current prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Before this, he was the Archbiship of San Francisco, and not known for his conservative side.
This document takes many of the correct assumptions about IVF and then builds a case based on the catechism of the Catholic Church to beautifully place the conception of children in the true context.
There are so many things that can happen during IVF treatment. Many, if not most of the miscues are unintended. But IVF has also led to the creation of what is euphemistically called the "modern family" in the United states. Anyone can get a baby by mixing any two gametes and placing them into a modern vessel.......It cannot be separated just because one's intentions are "pure" or if the motion is "right"
One of the beauties of the gift of children is that the child represents the external manifestation of the love between the two parents who have given themselves to each other physically, emotionally and completely in the Sacrament of Marriage. Any other means to conceive takes the will of God and places it elsewhere.....in the hands of the couple or the doctor or the embryologist.....but not God.
I used to believe that I was an instrument of the Almighty...that children are never bad. Here is another area where Mr Savage errs. There is nothing wrong with the children. And I would be surprised if any writer, blogger or speaker would ever intimate that.
Finally, for now, let's consider what led to the mistake. Sean and Carolyn had "left over" embryos. If there were no embryos left, would they have "been done?" There are hundreds of thousand embryos stored in laboratories across the United States. And that is a likely understatement. Each embryo represents a life, willfully "created" and placed in suspended animation. Here, Dignitas Personae is silent, and there has yet to be a formal position. This is likely because there is this tremendous disconnect between the process which led to the creation of the embryo and the natural potential outcome.
More Soon! AMDG
