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Questions And Answers On The Orthodox Faith



In Vitro Fertilization

QUESTION:

Dear Father,

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

What is the orthodox position on in vitro fertilization and surrogate mothers? Can't find anything in the ACRY annual journal on the subject. Is there something in writing that can easily be referred to?

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ANSWER:

The Orthodox Church has not issued a definitive position specifically on in vitro fertilization, or surrogate mothers. However, the Church is very clear on the sanctity of marriage which is ultimately at issue here. Any attempt to introduce a third party into the sexual/marital bond of husband and wife would clearly be rejected by the Church. This would include in the case of the sterility of the husband, the artificial insemination of the wife by a sperm donor. This action would be considered an act of adultery. Nor would it be permissible in the case of the sterility of the wife for a surrogate mother to bear a child for the couple having been artificially inseminated with the husband’s sperm or having the fertilized ovum of the wife implanted within the surrogate mother’s womb. In both cases, the sanctity of the marital bond would have been breached.

In the case of in vitro fertilization, (test tube babies) where the ovum and the sperm are united outside the wife’s body, there are two areas of difficulties. First, in most cases, there are many more eggs that are fertilized then used, resulting in the discarding of the unused eggs. This is problematic in that it can be seen as an act of abortion which is forbidden by the Church. Also such a procedure is fraught with the possibility of birth deformities and other complications.

Thus, it would be safe to say that in the case of both in vitro fertilization and surrogate mothers, the Church would be opposed to such actions as breaching the sanctity of the marital union. In a nutshell, just because the technology exists to do something new doesn’t necessarily make it moral or ethical to do so.

For a more indepth discussion of these and other moral issues, you might wish to purchase the book "Contemporary Moral Issues Facing the Orthodox Christian" by Fr. Stanley Harakas which is available in most Orthodox Bookstores.