In vitro fertilisation: the ethics of illicitness? A personalist Catholic approach

In line with Professor Brosens' work at the K.U. Leuven, the ethical integration of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) was made possible in the context of personalism, what we will present here in its anthropological and theological foundations. This presentation is necessary to make clear that personalism is always in the making of the clarification of its foundations. The three basic anthropological options are then applied to the ethical integration of IVF. They will lead to three concrete criteria for clinical practice: stable heterosexual infertile couple as indication; the respect for the human embryo and the qualitative social organization of infertility treatment. This position of Catholic personalists is in contradiction with the teaching of the Church, declaring that the IVF practice is in itself illicit. The third and fourth parts of this article are devoted to this statement. First, by debating the official magisterial position, and second, by referring to probably one of the most crucial issues for the ethical debate on IVF in the Church: the moral status of the embryo. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.