The ability to cooperate with God’s creative power to conceive and raise a child is one of the most profound gifts that a married couple can receive. Yet sadly, about 1 in 6 people face infertility at some point. For some, the joy of conception never happens. Others suffer repeated miscarriages. Still others experience secondary infertility: after giving birth to one or more children, they experience difficulty having another. When couples are unable to bear children, very often there is an understandable feeling of great loss. It is essential to note that the Church has true compassion for couples suffering from infertility and wants to be of real help to them. Many causes of infertility can be addressed through medical assistance that is fully in accord with Catholic teaching.

The desire to have a child is beautiful and good. At the same time, we are called to cooperate with God’s design for married love and the creation of new life. Some practices, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy, are not morally legitimate ways to address infertility. In addition to failing to respect the dignity of the couple’s marital relationship and of the child, such procedures often result in the loss of human life.

St. John Paul II affirmed to couples who bear the Cross of infertility, “you are no less loved by God; your love for each other is complete and fruitful when it is open to others.” It is important that couples who experience infertility know that their love is still fruitful and their married life remains filled with meaning. We pray that couples struggling with infertility would know Christ’s closeness in a special way and embrace God’s design as they seek to grow their families.

For more information, please visit respectlife.org/navigating-infertility.