In an op-ed acknowledging the heartache of infertility and the temptation to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) that Catholic couples may experience, a Catholic author recently offered insight into where couples carrying this cross can turn while remaining faithful to the teachings of the Church.
In an April 20 Angelus News op-ed, Leigh Fitzpatrick Snead reflects on her own journey of infertility, which she shares in her book Infertile but Fruitful. She encourages Catholics contemplating IVF to pursue their desire for children in a way that upholds life as a gift from God, the fruit of the loving conjugal union between a man and a woman.
The op-ed comes amid a wider cultural discussion and an increase in IVF use. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 65% of Catholics said access to IVF is a “good thing” rather than a “bad thing.” However, the Catholic Church teaches that IVF is morally impermissible. As Zeale News previously reported, IVF has also become a growing national point of contention, as efforts by the Trump administration to expand access and reduce costs draw criticism from pro-life leaders.
Noting that mainstream support for IVF largely stems from standard OBGYN practices, where it is often presented as the primary solution to infertility, Snead said this can shape how couples approach infertility and contribute to the temptations to pursue IVF. She added that the strongest inclinations to pursue it often arise in private and are experienced in “secrecy and shame.”
Snead also said that many well-intentioned people tend to “armchair diagnose” infertility, which can exacerbate the stigma surrounding it and lead to exhaustion and desperation, which she identified as a second temptation Catholics may face.
She added that a lack of understanding of Church teaching can lead Catholics to view the teachings as a limitation rather than the good they propose.
“We may know the formal rules, the ‘nos’,” Snead wrote. “But unless we understand the beautiful ‘yeses’, and are moved by the beauty in the Church’s teachings about what it means to be a parent and who a child is, we are not fully armed for the battle.”
She also pointed to approaches consistent with Church teaching, including NaPro Technology and Restorative Reproductive Medicine, which seek to treat the root causes of infertility without violating the dignity of human life. She highlighted that these approaches, along with offering accompaniment and support, provide a path forward for couples struggling to navigate infertility in accordance with the Church.
The conception of a child is a direct gift from God, Snead explained, and each child is a “new human being equal to us in dignity. She is begotten, not made, someone we welcome and love unconditionally.”
Snead contrasted this perspective with IVF, saying the practice becomes an act of reproduction instead of procreation.
“This is clearest with all of the adjunct technologies that accompany IVF,” Snead wrote, “such as sex-selection screening and polygenic risk scores for intelligence, height, eye color, and the like. The child of IVF is increasingly a made-to-order consumer product.”
Snead also offered guidance on accompanying couples facing infertility, emphasizing the importance of love and attentiveness to their emotional fatigue.
“We can simply talk to them and empathize with them,” Snead said. “We can model the unconditional and self-emptying love of Jesus.”
Snead encouraged others to share the beauty of the Church’s teachings, adding that hearts change “not by preaching, but as a friend shares something beautiful with another.”
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