Day 310: The Gift of a Child

Sacred Scripture and the Church's traditional practice see in large families a sign of God's blessing and the parents' generosity. Couples who discover that they are sterile suffer greatly. "What will you give me," asks Abraham of God, "for I continue childless?" [Gen 15:2] and Rachel cries to her husband Jacob, "Give me children, or I shall die!" [Gen 30:1] CCC 2373-74

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the gift of a child to married couples. Such a gift can be a blessing to couples, their families, and society as a whole, as its future is partly secured. Those who are infertile or struggle greatly with conception are a great trial to married couples. In modern society, many will seek relief through artificial insemination or surrogacy, using a third party. As painful as it is to the couple, I can understand why these techniques using a third party are considered "gravely immoral" (CCC 2376). Yet, I cannot understand why these techniques are considered "less reprehensible" but still "morally unacceptable" (CCC 2377) when no third party is involved and only the genetic material from the couple is used. Giving the reason that it "dissociates the sexual act from the procreative act" just doesn't make sense to me. We use artificial means to extend and improve life all the time, so it really doesn't seem that different to me in this case. Medical research to reduce sterility is encouraged (CCC 2375), which could do essentially the same thing if you want to get technical. Regardless, I do like how the Catechism stresses that having children is not a right, but instead a gift from God (CCC 2378). Too many today abuse that gift or treat children like objects, cute baubles or "fashion accessories" and not like separate persons, also made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26). The encouragement for adoption of "abandoned children" is also good touch (CCC 2379).

The Catechism Compendium summarizes why artificial insemination and artificial fertilization are immoral:

They are immoral because they dissociate procreation from the act with which the spouses give themselves to each other and so introduce the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Furthermore, heterologous insemination and fertilization with the use of techniques that involve a person other than the married couple infringe upon the right of a child to be born of a father and mother known to him, bound to each other by marriage, and having the exclusive right to become parents only through each other. (#499)