Since the birth of the first “test-tube baby” in 1978, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has provided hope and a path to parenthood for many couples who cannot conceive naturally. The Catholic Church, however, has consistently rejected IVF – not out of hostility to suffering couples, but because of deeper beliefs about marriage, human life, and the dignity of the human person. This article explains, in plain language, the reasons behind the Church’s position and how it responds pastorally to couples struggling with infertility.
Jerry Novotny, OMI – In vitro fertilization (IVF) – represents one of the most significant scientific achievements of modern reproductive medicine. Since the birth of Louise Brown in 1978 – the first child conceived through IVF – millions of children have been born worldwide through assisted reproductive technologies. For many couples facing infertility, IVF has brought hope, healing, and the fulfillment of deep parental desires. [1]
Despite its widespread acceptance in secular society, the Catholic Church maintains a firm moral opposition to IVF. This position is frequently misunderstood as anti-scientific or lacking compassion. However, the Church’s stance is rooted in a coherent moral vision that integrates theology, philosophy, anthropology, and natural law. [2]
As I approach my eighty-sixth year, the twilight of life is bringing new challenges. Beyond the increasing aches and pains, psychological sufferings have come to the fore and demand greater attention than before, with loneliness the most prominent. In some societies this trend is starkly visible: for example, in Japan in 2025, people aged 65 and older make up nearly 30% of the population, and an estimated 70% of them report feelings of loneliness. What is loneliness?
LifeIssues.net is a website that deals with clear Catholic thinking about crucial issues facing society and the family today. It is mainly concerned with publishing and posting thoughtful articles on current breaking news, articles, and research papers directly related to pro-life issues raised in Evangelium Vitae. Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI, updates and edits the website daily.
To grow old with God is not merely to count the passing years, but to allow those years to deepen faith, become gentle, and bring peace to the soul. Aging, when lived in union with God, becomes a holy pilgrimage – one in which the noise of life grows quieter, the essentials become clearer, and the soul is gradually prepared for future life.
Dear Friends for Life: Have you ever had a pervasive feeling of being alone, empty inside, or cut off from others? For many older adults, loneliness is a painful and distressing experience caused by a gap between their desired and their actual levels of social connection. Unlike simple social isolation, which is an objective lack of contact, loneliness is the subjective emotional pain of feeling alone, even when surrounded by others. The loss of loved ones, declining health, and a loss of purpose can intensify feelings of loneliness. The painful experience can result in a higher risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and even premature death.
My Christmas greeting this year arrives amid a world that feels heavy — news of conflict, loss, climate anxiety, economic strain, and a loneliness many of us carry in silence. At the same time the season presses forward with lights, lists, and inescapable shopping frenzies that make it easy to lose sight of why we celebrate. Yet it is precisely in this tension — between the rushing and the brokenness — that the deeper meaning of Christmas can be found and lived.
Today we are observing a world that is descending into moral darkness. We avoid looking at the 9.5 million refugees living in camps; poverty resulting from the combined wealth of the richest 1% will soon overtake that of the other 99%; sex-education based on unresearched conclusions;traditional marriage being swept under the carpet; hard-earned taxes supporting theabortion industry; and the slippery slope continues. Laws are increasingly forcing the general public to believe false and abnormal information. Let us analyze one example: the utterly absurd “bathroom wars” that are continually infiltrating different segments of society.The crisis: Men walking into girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, or showers, stripping and exposing their naked male bodies to young girls. This behavior is unacceptable to the majority of decent people and by any moral standards.
Nuclear missiles pointed at each other. Deterrence. Nuclear war concept.
Many people today, especially here in Japan and Asia, possess nuclear anxiety and fear that a nuclear war will occur. In the past, many have argued that the concept of nuclear deterrence would not only prevent the use of nuclear weapons but even prevent wars. They claimed that the balance of terror would preserve peace. Yet factsshow that nuclear deterrence is not aiding but obstructing peace.
Editor’s note: This posting is a debate between a good Catholic, Frank Pavone, and Chat GPT. Frank Pavone is an American Pro Life activist. He is the national director of Priests for Life and the chairman and pastoral director of its Rachel’s Vineyard project. He is also the president of the National Pro-Life Religious Council, an umbrella group of various ProLife Christian denominations, and the pastoral director of the Silent No More campaign. I have posted this debate on my personal Blog due to its importance aimed at “Fighting for the Culture of Life” and arguing that a child receives human rights from the very moment of its natural beginning. -Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI
Fighting For the Culture Of Life