Question 113 – Is Frozen Embryo Adoption Ethical In The Eyes Of The Church?

Interview Organization: Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima
Interviewer Name: Christopher P. Wendt
Date: July 13, 2022
The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith's "Donum Vitae" condemns in vitro fertilization as immoral. Frozen embryos, possessing human souls, risk being destroyed. While saving an embryo through implantation may be possible, the exploitation of women in the industry is immoral. However, in certain cases, adopting such children could save their lives.
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Transcript:

There is a document of the congregation of the doctrine of faith Donum Vitae where this procedure of  In vitro fertilization is condemned as immoral. In any case, it's immoral. But now, there is this aspect, as you know, they produce in these so-called ‘In vitro fertilization centers’, a lot of embryos that are frozen. In these embryos, they have a soul, a human soul, and so they are in danger of being killed. We have to say this very concretely. 

To save this child, I don’t know if we can do this. Of course, there is another aspect – to implant an embryo in the womb of a woman so that she can carry this child and give birth to it, it could be possible in this case to save the life of this child. It could be possible if it is done for this purpose – to adopt this child and then to educate this child. In exceptional cases maybe when you know concretely that you want to adopt such a child.  

But there is another issue now in the industry: they're taking women as a business now and they give their wombs for this purpose. And this is immoral of course, in this industry. We have to condemn this. But in a specific case when a couple wants to adopt such a child, there could be a possibility, to save this child from death.