Understanding the Church’s Teaching on IVF

On August 8^th, the Office of Life, Peace, and Justice (Diocese of Baton Rouge) hosted Dr. Christopher Ragusa, Professor of Theology at the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) in Baton Rouge to present on the Catholic Church’s teaching on In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF).  While the IVF technology has existed for many years, the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the State of Alabama declaring that embryos created through IVF are to be considered children (persons) has brought its use into the forefront again and prompted opinions from politicians on every side and society in general. Additionally, since this past February, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has sent close to a dozen letters and statements to lawmakers and the public in general summarizing the bishops’ moral, ethical and practical objections to IVF.  Dr. Ragusa’s talk, which was very good and well attended, was aimed at clarifying the issue and helping those present and parishioners in general to understand the Church’s position.

Here is the link to the talk: https://youtu.be/xzQvXuMptn4