Catholic bishops warn against IVF, say practice contradicts church teaching

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has strongly cautioned Catholics and Nigerians against the growing use of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), declaring the practice contrary to the moral teachings of the Church.

Speaking at the opening session of the 2025 Second Plenary of the CBCN in Akwa Ibom State, the President of the Conference and Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, described IVF as gravely immoral, stressing that it undermines the dignity of human life and the sanctity of marriage.

“IVF separates the unitive and procreative aspects of the marital act, which the Church considers sinful. It also involves the creation of multiple embryos, many of which are discarded, frozen, or used for research. Each embryo is a human life with inherent dignity and a right to exist,” Archbishop Ugorji said.

The bishops expressed worry over the increasing proliferation of fertility clinics in Nigeria, some run by unqualified practitioners, exposing couples to financial exploitation, medical risks, and even permanent infertility.

Even more disturbing, Archbishop Ugorji said, is the rising trend of young women, particularly university students, selling their eggs to clinics in exchange for small sums of money, without understanding the health consequences or moral weight of their actions.

The CBCN urged government to urgently regulate the fertility industry but reminded the faithful that, regardless of regulation, the procedure remains unacceptable for Catholics.

“The Church teaches that human life is sacred from the moment of conception. We cannot condone practices that commodify human embryos or treat them as disposable objects,” Archbishop Ugorji said.

He called on Catholic couples struggling with infertility to turn instead to morally acceptable alternatives such as natural procreative technologies, adoption, and above all, trust in God’s providence.

“Even in the face of childlessness, Christian couples are called to witness to the love and faithfulness of God,” the CBCN president said.

The bishops reaffirmed their commitment to defending the sanctity of human life at every stage, reminding the faithful that true hope and healing can only come from God, not from procedures that compromise human dignity.

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