Why Catholics must oppose Donald Trump’s support of IVF

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a town hall in Wisconsin on Aug. 29. 2024. Shutterstock

As Catholics, we are duty-bound to engage in the public square with a conscience informed by our faith, particularly when it comes to matters as crucial as the sanctity of life. The recent campaign announcement by former President Donald Trump in which he pledges, should he be elected to the presidency again, to mandate public funding for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments presents a serious challenge for Catholic voters. While the desire to alleviate the pain of infertility and ameliorate a declining national birthrate is understandable, the means proposed — IVF — raises grave ethical concerns.

The duty of a Catholic voter​

First and foremost, it is important to recall that the duty of a Catholic voter is not to make excuses for a candidate simply because he or she may align with particular political or social goals that one supports. Instead, the duty of a Catholic voter is to critically evaluate the proposed policies and actions of every candidate in light of Catholic teaching. And that evaluation is undertaken by examining a candidate’s views directly (rather than simply comparing them to another candidate’s views).

In the case of Donald Trump’s position on IVF, Catholics must recognize that this procedure involves serious moral issues, including the severing of the unitive and procreative aspects of the sexual act and the destruction of embryos, which the Church teaches are human beings deserving of full respect and protection from the moment of conception. In fact, the vast majority of human life created through IVF is destroyed or frozen indefinitely, never to be implanted in a womb.

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