Interesting interview with Robin Marantz Henig a science writer who wrote a book called “The Monk in the Garden: The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics.” The interview was on the occasion of the 25th birthday of the Birth of first “test tube baby.” Surprisingly she actually knows and can articulate the Catholic position on IVF.
Arlington, Va.: Is it true that Pope John Paul I (not II) sent a telegram congratulating the Brown parents on the birth of their child?
Robin Marantz Henig: Yes, I heard that too. It sounds hypocritical, doesn’t it? But even though the Vatican has always been opposed to any form of reproductive technology, it has always made a distinction between the children who are the result of that technology and the adults, scientists and parents alike, who use it. The Pope was glad to welcome Louise into the world, but that didn’t stop him from condemning the way she was conceived. The Catholic Church still considers IVF to be an illicit act, they see it as morally equivalent to contraception, because IVF, like contraception, separates sexual intercourse from reproduction.
[Full Story]
