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We all know that IVF fertilization is against the catholic teaching. Recently I found out that when the treatment is carried out, some of the embryos are frozen for the future implantation in case if the couple want more children.

My question is: Do the catholic church allow couples to access the sacraments if they have children from IVF?

And if the couple realize the wrongness of IVF and have embryos frozen, what do they have to do with them according to the teaching? Let them die or try to implement them in woman's womb? Both, I see as wrong decision.

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2 Answers 2

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Starting with the second question, the Magisterial teaching of the Church likewise finds both decisions to be bad

All things considered, it needs to be recognized that the thousands of abandoned embryos represent a situation of injustice which in fact cannot be resolved. Therefore John Paul II made an “appeal to the conscience of the world’s scientific authorities and in particular to doctors, that the production of human embryos be halted, taking into account that there seems to be no morally licit solution regarding the human destiny of the thousands and thousands of ‘frozen’ embryos which are and remain the subjects of essential rights and should therefore be protected by law as human persons”

Dignitatas Personae - 19

And for the first question, I don't believe it's documented that a couple (or individual) receives a latae sententiae excommunication (automatic excommunication) for procuring IVF, but there is a good case to make for it on grounds that it is tantamount to abortion, which does receive that.

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    I believe that IVF's modern state of technology necessitates the destruction of some embryos. A source, but I can't vouch for it.
    – user3961
    Dec 10, 2014 at 0:03
  • @Peter it was over such issues regarding assisted fertility that my sister in law left the Church. And with the assisted implanting of embryos, conception happened and two children were the result. Oct 11, 2017 at 19:03
  • The artificial creation of life is not inherently wrong. But the methods used -- and the virtual certainty of the destruction of "unneeded" embryos -- are inherently wrong. A past answer on the subject Oct 12, 2017 at 2:26
  • @AndrewLeach, can you back up your claim "The artificial creation of life is not inherently wrong"?
    – Grasper
    Oct 12, 2017 at 11:19
  • @Grasper Yes. Part of the relevant CDF instruction is reproduced in the linked answer. Oct 12, 2017 at 11:20
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Abortion is not an act of love. IVF is, because the parents are driven by the love of wanting to have children. However it is wrong morally. It can NEVER be compared to abortion morally.

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    Welcome to Christianity! The question is asking for the Catholic Church's position on the matter. While it's possible your statement is shared by the Catholic Church, please cite a statement from the Catholic Church on the matter.
    – Null
    Dec 17, 2019 at 15:44
  • Your position is one that makes a lot of sense, but unfortunately the church does not aThat position was for her untenable. It was this particular issue that drove my sister-in-law out of the Catholic church: without resort to artificial means, she and her husband coujld not conceive. They had a first child with medical assistance; the second came as a surprise a few years later. Dec 18, 2019 at 13:13

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