Pope Benedict reiterates Catholic teaching against artificial procreation such as IVF

The Pope meeting with members of the Pontifical Academy for Life urged infertile couples to shun IVF and insisted that sex between a husband and wife was the only acceptable way of conceiving.

Pope Benedict XVI said artificial methods of getting pregnant were simply 'arrogance' as he spoke at the end of the Academy's three-day conference on infertility in Rome. See Daily Mail report

He told scientists and fertility experts that matrimony was the 'only place worthy of the call to existence of a new human being'.

The Pope reiterated the Church's stance against artificial procreation, telling infertile couples they should refrain from trying to conceive through any method other than conjugal relations.

'The human and Christian dignity of procreation, in fact, doesn't consist in a "product", but in its link to the conjugal act, an expression of the love of the spouses of their union, not only biological but also spiritual,' Benedict said.

He told the specialists in his audience to resist 'the fascination of the technology of artificial fertility', warning against 'easy income, or even worse, the arrogance of taking the place of the Creator'.

He suggested that this was the attitude that underlies the field of artificial procreation.

Sperm or egg donation and methods such as in vitro fertilization are banned for members of the Catholic church.

The emphasis on science and 'the logic of profit seem today to dominate the field of infertility and human procreation', the Pope said.

But he added that the Church encourages medical research into infertility

The personal responsibility of Catholics in public life to offer public witness to their faith

 Vatican Information Services (VIS) report that Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday last received a group of prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Regions 4 and 6), at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
The entire text of Pope Benedict's address to the Bishop's published by the VIS is well worth reading and needless to say the issues he deals with are relevant everywhere today not only in the United States can be accessed on the following link. 
 I would like to highlight some of the points he raised  as set out below

[...] "At the heart of every culture, whether perceived or not, is a consensus about the nature of reality and the moral good, and thus about the conditions for human flourishing. In America, that consensus, as enshrined in your nation's founding documents, was grounded in a worldview shaped not only by faith but a commitment to certain ethical principles deriving from nature and nature's God. Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such.
[...] The legitimate separation of Church and State cannot be taken to mean that the Church must be silent on certain issues, nor that the State may choose not to engage, or be engaged by, the voices of committed believers in determining the values which will shape the future of the nation
[...] Many of you have pointed out that concerted efforts have been made to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices. Others have spoken to me of a worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience.
"Here once more we see the need for an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-a-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism which would de-legitimise the Church's participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society. [...] In this regard, I would mention with appreciation your efforts to maintain contacts with Catholics involved in political life and to help them understand their personal responsibility to offer public witness to their faith, especially with regard to the great moral issues of our time: respect for God's gift of life, the protection of human dignity and the promotion of authentic human rights".

Pope Benedict's Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Africae Munus

Pope Benedict XVI to close his recent visit to Benin presented a document – Africae Munus a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, which sets out a charter for the evangelization of the African continent in the coming years.  
The document is comprehensive and is worth reading in full but it also contains very powerful recommendations on protecting life from conception to natural death and on the sacredness of the family. 
In the new document Pope Benedict praised the Synod Fathers for the concern expressed by them in respect of anti life measures, which use confusing and ambiguous language in international documents on women’s reproductive health, which could suggest support for abortion.

The following is an extract from the document

A. The protection of life

70. Among the initiatives aimed at protecting human life on the African continent, the Synod members took into consideration the efforts expended by international institutions to promote certain aspects of development.[109] Yet they noted with concern a lack of ethical clarity at international meetings, and specifically the use of confusing language conveying values at odds with Catholic moral teaching. The Church is perennially concerned for the integral development of “every man and the whole man”, as Pope Paul VI put it.[110] That is why the Synod Fathers took pains to emphasize the questionable elements found in certain international documents, especially those concerned with women’s reproductive health. The Church’s position on the matter of abortion is unambiguous. The child in his or her mother’s womb is a human life which must be protected. Abortion, which is the destruction of an innocent unborn child, is contrary to God’s will, for the value and dignity of human life must be protected from conception to natural death. The Church in Africa and the neighbouring islands must be committed to offering help and support to women and couples tempted to seek an abortion, while remaining close to those who have had this tragic experience and helping them to grow in respect for life. She acknowledges the courage of governments that have legislated against the culture of death – of which abortion is a dramatic expression – in favour of the culture of life.[111]

71. The Church knows that many individuals, associations, specialized groups and states reject sound teaching on this subject. “We must not fear hostility or unpopularity, and we must refuse any compromise or ambiguity which might conform us to the thinking of this world (cf. Rom 12:2). We must be in the world but not of the world (cf. Jn 15:19; 17:16), drawing our strength from Christ, who by his death and resurrection has overcome the world (cf. Jn16:33).”[112]

72. Serious threats loom over human life in Africa. Here, as elsewhere, one can only deplore the ravages of drug and alcohol abuse which destroy the continent’s human potential and afflict young people in particular.[113]Malaria,[114] as well as tuberculosis and AIDS, decimate the African peoples and gravely compromise their socio-economic life. The problem of AIDS, in particular, clearly calls for a medical and pharmaceutical response. This is not enough, however: the problem goes deeper. Above all, it is an ethical problem. The change of behaviour that it requires – for example, sexual abstinence, rejection of sexual promiscuity, fidelity within marriage – ultimately involves the question of integral development, which demands a global approach and a global response from the Church. For if it is to be effective, the prevention of AIDS must be based on a sex education that is itself grounded in an anthropology anchored in the natural law and enlightened by the word of God and the Church’s teaching.

73. In the name of life – which it is the Church’s duty to defend and protect – and in union with the Synod Fathers, I offer an expression of renewed encouragement and support to all the Church’s institutions and movements that are working in the field of healthcare, especially with regard to AIDS. You are doing wonderful and important work. I ask international agencies to acknowledge you and to offer you assistance, respecting your specific character and acting in a spirit of collaboration. Once again, I warmly encourage those institutes and programmes of therapeutic and pharmaceutical research which seek to eradicate pandemics. Spare no effort to arrive at results as swiftly as possible, out of love for the precious gift of life.[115] May you discover solutions and provide everyone with access to treatments and medicines, taking account of uncertain situations! The Church, indeed, has been pleading for a long time for high quality medical treatment to be made available at minimum cost to all concerned.[116]

Link to the full text of Africae Munus

Hope in times of distress and persecution

In these days, when everything appears to be so bleak – people forgetting God; the abuse of innocent people; wars, in which thousands are killed; abortion, where millions are killed; growing acceptance of euthanasia; the creeping advance of the homosexual agenda; breakdown of family life; suicide, unemployment, with its consequent problems of despair and conflict, etc. – the words of Pope Benedict XVI always give us a sense of hope and joy. Here is some of what he had to say while speaking at his General Audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, 14 September,

‘Today we reflect on Psalm Twenty-two, a heartfelt prayer of lamentation from one who feels abandoned by God.  Surrounded by enemies who are persecuting him, the psalmist cries out by day and by night for help, and yet God seems to remain silent.  In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the opening line of this psalm is placed on the lips of Jesus as he calls upon the Father from the Cross.  He too seems to have been abandoned to a cruel fate, while his enemies mock him, attacking him like ravenous and roaring lions, dividing his clothing among them as if he were already dead.  The psalmist recalls how, in the past, the people Israel called trustingly upon the Lord in times of trial, and he answered their prayer.  He remembers the tenderness with which the Lord cared for him personally in his earlier life, as a child in his mother’s womb, as an infant in his mother’s arms, and yet now God seems strangely distant.  Despite such adverse circumstances, through, the psalmist’s faith and trust in the Lord remains.  The psalm ends on a note of confidence, as God’s name is praised before all the nations.  The shadow of the Cross gives way to the bright hope of the Resurrection.  We too, when we call upon him in times of trial, must place our trust in the God who brings salvation, who conquers death with the gift of eternal life.’

And as Psalm 42, at the beginning of Mass, says:  Quare tristis es, anima mea, et quare conturbas me?  Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei et Deus meus.   Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why dost thou disquiet me?  Hope thou in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God

Pope Benedict congratulates pro-life Italians for their "yes to life"

During his Regina Caeli address on 22 May last, Pope Benedict had these words to say to a group from an Italian pro-life movement:

‘Dear friends, I congratulate you in particular for the commitment with which you help women who face difficult pregnancies, engaged couples and married people who desire responsible procreation.  In so doing, you work concretely for the culture of life.  I ask the Lord that, thanks also to your contribution, the “yes to life” will be a motive for unity in Italy, and every country of the world. …’

In this context, I would like once again to remind everyone about this year's Rally for Life in Ireland that is scheduled to take place in Dublin on Saturday, 2 July next – less than four weeks away!

A date for your diary – 2 pm, Saturday, 2 July, at Parnell Square, Dublin City Centre.

Pope Benedict XVI highlights the special commitment of marriage and the value of life and family

Pope Benedict XVI on June 5th gave a wonderful pro-life and pro-family address during his visit to Croatia last weekend in Zagreb's Hippodrome where up to 400,000 people gathered  for Sunday Mass to mark the first National Day of Croatian Catholic Families.

Zenit.Org report that during the celebration, in which some 1,000 priests and 60 bishops from Croatia and neighboring countries participated, the Pope encouraged Catholic families to love without reservations and to not be afraid of committing themselves for life in marriage.

"Dear families, be courageous," he exhorted in what was the most anticipated moment of his two-day trip. "Do not give in to that secularized mentality which proposes living together as a preparation, or even a substitute for marriage!"

"Show by the witness of your lives that it is possible, like Christ, to love without reserve, and do not be afraid to make a commitment to another person," the Pontiff added.

The Holy Father encouraged families to also "rejoice in fatherhood and motherhood": "Openness to life is a sign of openness to the future, confidence in the future, just as respect for the natural moral law frees people, rather than demeaning them!"

Treasure of the Church

Benedict XVI explained that "the good of the family is also the good of the Church," and that the "Christian family has always been the first way of transmitting the faith and still today retains great possibilities for evangelization in many areas."

In fact, he stated, "everyone knows that the Christian family is a special sign of the presence and love of Christ and that it is called to give a specific and irreplaceable contribution to evangelization."

In expressing his gratitude to the bishops of Croatia for initiating

the National Day of Croation Catholic Families, the Holy Father noted that the family "has to face difficulties and threats, and thus has special need of evangelization and support."

The Pontiff underlined the importance of the family as it is a "decisive resource for education in the faith, for the up-building of the Church as a communion and for her missionary presence in the most diverse situations in life."

"Your daily labor for the faith formation of future generations, as well as for marriage preparation and for the accompaniment of families," he said to the bishops, "is the fundamental path for regenerating the Church anew and for giving life to the social fabric of the nation. May you remain dedicated to this important pastoral commitment!"

Abortion "resolves nothing," Pope Benedict XVI the Pontifical Academy for Life Feb. 26.

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday last gave what can be described as his most comprehensive defence of unborn life and the issues surrounding it when spoke to the members of the Pontifical Academy for Life who had participated in their 17th general assembly.

Pope Benedict in his wide ranging address dealt with the moral conscience and its implications in the many areas relating to protection of life. Pope Benedict referenced  among other issues post abortion syndrome, the importance of the conscientious objection of doctors and other medical personnel to abortion, the responsibility of fathers, the importance of ethical research and the wonderful mercy of God.  

 

The following is an unofficial translation of  Pope Benedict's address 

Sisters, Esteemed Cardinals,  Brothers in the Episcopate and the Priesthood, Dear Brothers and Sisters I receive you with joy on the occasion of the annual assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life. I greet, in particular, the president, Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, and I thank him for his courteous words. I address my cordial welcome to each one of you.

In the activities of these days you addressed topics of current importance, which question contemporary society profoundly and challenge it to find answers that are appropriate for the good of the human person. Post-abortion syndrome -- the serious psychological difficulties often felt by women who have taken recourse to voluntary abortion -- reveals the irrepressible voice of the moral conscience, and the grave wound it suffers each time that human action betrays the person’s innate vocation to good, and of which he gives witness.

It would be useful also in this reflection to focus attention on the conscience, at times blurred, of the fathers of the children, who often abandon pregnant w om en. The moral conscience -- teaches the Catechism of the Catholic Church -- "is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right" (No. 1778).

It is, in fact, the duty of the moral conscience to discern good from evil in the different situations of existence, in order that, on the basis of this judgment, the human being can orient himself towards the good. Many would like to deny the existence of the moral conscience in man, reducing its voice to the result of external conditioning or to a purely emotive phenomenon, and it is important to affirm that the moral quality of human action is not an extrinsic value or even optional and it is not even a prerogative of Christians or believers, but common to every human being. In the moral conscience, God speaks to each one and invites him to defend human life at all times. In this personal bond with the Creator lies the profound dignity of the moral conscience and the reason for its inviolability.

Fulfilled in the conscience of every man -- intelligence, emotive nature, will -- is his vocation to the good, so that the choice of good or evil in the concrete situations of existence ends by marking the human person profoundly in each expression of his being. The whole man, in fact, is wounded when his behavior is contrary to the dictate of his own conscience.

However, even when man rejects the true and the good that the Creator proposes to him, God does not abandon him, but through the voice of conscience, continues to seek and speak to him, so that he will acknowledge his error and open himself to Divine Mercy capable of healing any wound.

Doctors, in particular, cannot fail to consider important the grave duty to defend against the deception of the conscience of many women who think they will find in abortion the solution to family, economic, social difficulties or to the problems of health of their children. Especially in this last situation, the woman is convinced, often by the doctors themselves, that abortion represents not only a licit moral choice, but that in addition it is a necessary "therapeutic" act to avoid the suffering of the child and of its family and an "unjust" burden to society.

In a cultural background characterized by the eclipse of the meaning of life, in which the common perception of the moral gravity of abortion and of other forms of attempts against human life has been attenuated, exacted from doctors is a special fortitude to continue affirming that abortion does not resolve anything, but that it kills the child, destroys the woman and blinds the conscience of the child's father, often ruining family life.

This duty, however, does not only affect the medical profession or health professionals. It is necessary that the whole of society defend the right to life of the conceived and the true good of the woman, who never, under any circumstance, will be fulfilled in the choice of abortion. In the same way it is necessary -- as has been indicated in your works -- to provide the necessary help to women who sadly have already taken recourse to abortion, and who now experience all its moral and existential tragedy. There are many initiatives, at the diocesan level or through individual volunteer entities, which offer psychological and spiritual support for a complete human recovery. The solidarity of the Christian community cannot give up this type of co-responsibility.

I would like to recall, in this connection, the invitation addressed by the Venerable John Paul II to women who have taken recourse to abortion. "The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life" ("Evangelium Vitae," No. 99).

The moral conscience of researchers and of the whole of society is profoundly involved also in the second topic of your works: the use of umbilical cord banks for clinical and research purposes. Medical-scientific research is a value and, hence, a commitment, not only for researchers but for the whole civil community. The result is the duty to promote ethically valid research on the part of institutions, and the value of the solidarity of individuals in the participation of research directed to promote the common good.

This value, and the necessity of this solidarity, are very well evidenced in the case of the use of stem cells from the umbilical cord. They are important clinical applications and promising research at the scientific level, but for their realization many depend on the generosity, on the donation of blood of the cord at the moment of birth, on the part of the women who have just given birth. Hence, I invite all of you to be promoters of a true and conscious human and Christian solidarity. In this connection, many medical researchers rightly regard with perplexity the growing number of private storage banks of the blood of the cord for exclusive autologous use. Such an option -- as the works of your Assembly demonstrate -- in addition to lacking a real scientific superiority in relation to the donation of the cord, weakens the genuine spirit of solidarity which must constantly animate the search of that common good to which, in the last analysis, science and medical research tend.

Dear brothers and sisters, once again I express my gratitude to the president and to all the members of the Pontifical Academy for Life for the scientific and ethical courage with which you carry out your commitment to the service of the good of the human person. My hope is that you will maintain always alive the spirit of authentic service which makes hearts and minds sensitive to recognize the needs of the men who are our contemporaries. To each one of you and to your loved ones, I impart my heartfelt apostolic blessing.

Pope Benedict's comments on condom use

Much has been said, and much has been written, about what Pope Benedict XVI is supposed to have said, or what he is not supposed to have said, in his interview with Peter Seewald, which is now part of his book The Light of the World.

In an interview with the National Catholic Register journal (not to be confused with the dissident ‘National Catholic Report’), Cardinal Raymond Burke gives a very interesting insight into his thoughts concerning the ‘controversy’ set in train by the media worldwide following some of Pope Benedict’s comments.

Cardinal Burke, when asked: What is the Pope saying here? Is he saying that in some cases condoms can be permitted?, replies:

‘No, he’s not.  I don’t see any change in the Church’s teaching.  What he’s commenting on – in fact, he makes the statement very clearly that the Church does not regard the use of condoms as a real or a moral solution – in the point he makes about the male prostitute is a certain conversion process taking place in an individual’s life.   He’s simply making the comment that if a person who is given to prostitution at least considers using a condom to prevent giving the disease to another person – even though the effectiveness of this is very questionable – this could be a sign of someone who is having a certain moral awakening.  But in no way does it mean that prostitution is morally acceptable, nor does it mean that the use of condoms is morally acceptable….’

To the question: Is ‘the world’ assuming too quickly that the Pope all of a sudden is open to ‘compromising’ on condoms, that this may be a small yet significant opening toward ‘enlightenment’ for the Catholic Church? …, Cardinal Burke has this to say:

‘From what I’ve seen of the coverage in the media, I think that’s correct, that that’s what they’re trying to suggest.  But if you read the text there’s no suggestion of that at all.  It’s clear that the Pope is holding to what the Church has always taught in these matters.  … The text itself makes it very clear that the Church does not regard it [the use of a condom] as a real or moral solution.   And when he says that it could be a first step in a movement toward a different, more human way of living sexuality, that doesn’t mean in any sense that he’s saying the use of condoms is a good thing.’     

In reply to further questions put to Cardinal Burke, he replied as follows:

NCR - So, if nothing has changed in Catholic teaching on sexuality or the use of condoms, has the conversation changed anything?

CB - ‘I don’t see it at all.  What I see is the Holy Father is [sic] presenting a classical position of the Church from her moral theology.  Self-mastery, self-discipline is not an immediate accompaniment, so we have to understand that it may take people time to reform their lives.  But that doesn’t suggest that he’s diminishing the moral analysis of the immoral actions of the male prostitute, for instance.’

NCR - It seems that perhaps some of what he says in the answers to Seewald’s questions might lead to a renewed conversation on the nature of married love and sexuality.

CB - ‘That’s what I would hope, and I think that’s what the Holy Father was suggesting in the beginning of that part of the conversation with Peter Seewald where he engages in that whole point about the trivialization of human sexuality.’        

The entire interview with Cardinal Burke can be accessed on the website of the National Catholic Register.   It is well worth reading

Report on "Vigil for Unborn Life"

Vatican information Services (VIS) have reported on the “Vigil for unborn life”, presided over by the Holy Father and which took place on Saturday last they report

Benedict XVI began his homily by noting that

"with this celebration of Vespers the Lord gives us the grace and joy to begin the new liturgical year", in which "we will feel that the Church takes us by the hand and, in the image of Most Holy Mary, expresses her maternity by enabling us to experience the joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord, Who embraces us all in His salvific and consoling love".

Highlighting the fact that the celebration was being enriched with the solemn prayer vigil for unborn life, the Pope thanked "everyone who has taken up this invitation, and those who specifically dedicate themselves to protecting human life in various situations of fragility, especially at its beginnings and in its first stages".

"The Incarnation reveals to us - with intense light and in a surprising way - that each human life has exalted and incomparable dignity. Man has an unmistakeable originality with respect to all other living things, which inhabit the earth. He is a unique and distinctive being, gifted with intelligence and free will, as well as being composed of material reality. He simultaneously and inseparably lives in the spiritual and the corporeal dimensions".

"God loves us deeply, completely, without distinction", the Pope explained. "He calls us to be His friends. He brings us to share in a reality, which is beyond all imagination, all thoughts or words: His divine life. Moved and grateful, we become aware of the value and incomparable dignity of each human being, and of the great responsibility we have towards others".

Human beings, said the Pope, "have the right not to be treated as objects to be possessed, or things to be manipulated at will; not to be reduced to the status of a mere tool for the benefit of others and their interests. Human beings are a good per se, and it is necessary always to seek their integral development. Love for everyone, if sincere, spontaneously turns into preferential attention for the weakest and poorest. This is the context of the Church's concern for nascent life, which is the most fragile, the most threatened by the selfishness of adults and the clouding of conscience. The Church continually repeats Vatican Council II's declarations against abortion and all other violations of unborn life: 'from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care'".

The Holy Father went on: "There are cultural tendencies which seek to anaesthetise people's consciences by using pretexts" Yet, "as concerns the embryo in the womb, science itself highlights its autonomy and capacity for interaction with the mother, the co-ordination of its biological processes, the continuity of its development, the increasing complexity of the organism. It is not simply an accumulation of biological matter, but a new living being, ... a new individual of the human race. This is how Jesus was in Mary's womb; this is how it is for each one of us in our mother's womb".

Benedict XVI lamented the fact that "even after birth the life of children continues to be exposed to abandonment, to hunger and misery, to sickness, abuse, violence and exploitation. The multiple violations of children's rights committed in the world are a painful wound on the conscience of all men and women of good will. Faced with the sad spectacle of the injustices committed against the life of man, both before and after birth, I reiterate John Paul II's impassioned appeal for responsibility: 'respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life! Only in this direction will you find justice, development, true freedom, peace and happiness!'"

In this context, the Pope also exhorted "political, economic and media leaders to do everything they can to promote a culture that is ever more respectful of human life, in order to create favourable conditions and support-networks that welcome life and ensure its development".

At the end of the celebration of Vespers the Holy Father read a "Prayer for Life" specially composed for this occasion.
which took place last Saturday