https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5827-6048
The moral permissibility of extracorporeal fertilization has been one of the most debated issues in bioethics for many years. In the last decades, many works dedicated to this subject were published. Christian churches have also spoken on the issue. In 2007, the Greek Orthodox Church published its document entitled “Basic positions on the ethics of assisted reproduction”, which discussed the Orthodox perspective on in vitro fertilization and other questions surrounding it. The Greek Church has elaborated its position at length and with great attention to detail. The authors of the document, which consists of fifteen chapters and 82 paragraphs, reflect upon in vitro fertilization not only from a strict theological perspective, but base their arguments also on the fundamental rules of personalist ethics. The principal rules of personalism is affirmation of human life and the need for its protection. The Greek document pays broad attention also to the social, legal, and economic consequences, and other effects and risks in approach of this method. Moreover, the document includes valuable guidance on the modalities of pastoral care for families facing infertility and childlessness. It is worth noting that the language used by the Greek Orthodox Church is an expression of authentic pastoral care and does not invoke rhetoric typical for a “siege mentality” style. The high standards of discussion and sophisticated pro-life argumentation employed by the authors do not aim at attacking opponents, but instead encourage a deeper reflection on conception of human life, status of the embryo and character of marital relations. The text presented here is the first Polish translation of the position of the Greek Orthodox Church on the ethics of assisted reproduction.
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https://doi.org/10.36124/rt.2024.27