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CV NEWS FEED // United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Bishop Daniel E. Thomas and Bishop Robert Barron issued a statement Feb. 20 opposing President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that favors in vitro fertilization.
Bishop Thomas, who chairs the Committee on Pro-life Activities, and Bishop Barron, who chairs the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, stated that the executive order is “fatally flawed” and contrasts with the pro-life choices Trump made in January.
“The IVF industry treats human beings like products and freezes or kills millions of children who are not selected for transfer to a womb or do not survive,” the bishops wrote.
In the Feb. 18 executive order titled “Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization,” Trump called on Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Vince Haley to recommend how to protect access to IVF and dramatically lower out-of-pocket and health plan costs for the procedure.
“My Administration recognizes the importance of family formation, and as a Nation, our public policy must make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children,” the executive order states. “In vitro fertilization (IVF) offers hope to men and women experiencing fertility challenges.
“Americans need reliable access to IVF and more affordable treatment options, as the cost per cycle can range from $12,000 to $25,000. Providing support, awareness, and access to affordable fertility treatments can help these families navigate their path to parenthood with hope and confidence.”
Bishops Thomas and Barron said Trump’s plan is immoral and must not be the solution to the infertility crisis.
“As pastors, we see the suffering of so many couples experiencing infertility and know their deep desire to have children is both good and admirable; yet the Administration’s push for IVF, which ends countless human lives and treats persons like property, cannot be the answer,” the bishops wrote.
They also emphasized that people who come into the world through IVF have as much dignity – an infinite amount – as anyone else.
“It is our moral responsibility to uphold the dignity of their brothers and sisters who are never given the chance to be born,” the bishops stated.
The USCCB provides more information here regarding assisted reproductive technologies and here about infertility.
“For the sake of couples trying to bring precious new life into the world, we look forward to working with the Administration to expand support for restorative reproductive medicine that can help ethically treat often-overlooked root causes of infertility,” Bishops Thomas and Barron wrote. “However, we will strongly oppose any policy that expands destruction of human life, or forces others to subsidize the cost.”
In another statement, Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, expressed disappointment regarding Trump’s executive order and implored elected officials to support families in better ways, as CatholicVote reported.