Is GIFT Compatible with the Teaching of Donum Vitae?

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation Donum Vitae, 22 February 1987: AAS 80 (1988) 70–102.

Bartholomew Kiely, Press conference, in Origins 16, no. 40 (1986–1987) marginal notes, 699–700.

Donum Vitae, II, B., no. 4: AAS 80 (1988) 91. “[E]afecundation licite appetitur, quare manat ex actu coniugali qui natura sua aptus sit ‘ad prolis generationem, as quern natura sua ordinator matrimonium, et quo coniuges fiunt una caro’. Eadem vero procreatio tunc debita perfectione destituitur sub aspectu morali, cum animo non intenditur ut fructus coniugalis actus seu illius gestus qui est proprius unionis coniugum.” Translation from Origins 16, no. 40 (1986–1987) 706. The internal citation is to the Code of Canon Law, c. 1061.

Donum Vitae, II, B., no. 6: AAS 80 (1988) 94. “admitti neguit, excepto casu in quo apparatus technicus non sit substitutivus actus coniugalis, sed se praebeat ut adiumentum ad naturalem eius finem facilius assequendum.” Translation from Origins 16, no. 40 (1986–1987) 707.

DeMarco Donald T. , “Catholic Moral Teaching and TOT/GIFT,” in Reproductive Technologies, Marriage and the Church (Braintree, MA: The Pope John XXIII Medical-Moral Research Center, 1988) 124.

Donum Vitae, II, B., no. 4: AAS 80 (1988) 90–92; and William E. May, “‘Begotten Not Made’: Catholic Teaching on the Laboratory Generation of Human Life,” Chap. in Marriage: The Rock on Which the Family is Built (San Fransisco: Ignatius Press, 1995) 89–90.

Donum Vitae, II., B., no. 4: AAS 80 (1988) 91. “In sus origine, quae unica est atque iterari nequit, filius, quoad dignitatem personae, oportet honoretur et agnoscatur aequalis iis, qui ei vitam largiuntur.” Translation from Origins 16, no. 40 (1986–1987) 706.

May, 95–96.

May, 95.

Bartolomew Kiely S.J. , “Contraception, In Vitro Fertilization and the Principle of Inseparability,” in “Humanae Vitae”: 20 Anni Dopo: Atti del Congresso Internazionale di Teologia Morale (Roma, 9–12 novembre 1988) (Milan: Edizioni Ares, 1989) 330.

May, 96.

May, 96.

Pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world Gaudium et spes, 7 December 1965, no. 49: AAS 58 (1966) 1070. “Haec dilectio proprio matrimonii opere singulariter exprimitur et perficitur. Actus proinde, quibus coniuges intime et caste inter se uniuntur, honesti ac digni sunt et, modo vere humano exerciti, donationem mutuam significant et fovent, qua sese invicem laeto gratoque animo locupletant.” Translation from Austin Flannery, OP, ed., Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1980) 1: 952.

May, 95.

May, 96.

The audiences dedicated to these themes spanned several years: from 5 September 1979 to 28 November 1984. They are published in English in four volumes: Original Unity of Man and Woman: Catechesis on the Book of Genesis (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1981); Blessed Are the Pure of Heart: Catechesis on the Sermon on the Mount and Writings of St. Paul (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1983); The Theology of Marriage and Celibacy: Catechesis on Marriage and Celibacy in Light of the Resurrection of the Body (Boston: St. Paul Editions. 1986); and Reflections on Humanae Vitae: Conjugal Morality and Spirituality (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1984). For a more thorough presentation of the anthropology of these catecheses, see Lorenzo Albacete, “Younger than sin,” Communio 22 (1995) 593–612.

All Scripture passages are quoted from The Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition.

Paul John II , General audience, 10 October 1979 and 24 October 1979: in Original Unity, 43–54.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 7 November 1979 and 14 November 1979, in Original Unity, 61–77.

Gaudium Et Spes, no. 12: A AS 58 (1966) 1034. “At Deus non creavit hominem solum: nam inde a primordiis “masculum et feminam creavit eos” (Gen. 1, 27), quorum consociatio primam formam efficit communionis personarum. Homo etenim ex intima sua natura ens sociale est, atque sine relationibus cum aliis nec vivere nec sua dotes expandere potest.” Translation from Flannery, 1: 913–114.

John Paull I.I. , General audience, 14 November 1979, in Original Unity, 73.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 12 December 1979, 19 December 1979, and 2 January 1980, in Original Unity, 85–105.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 2 January 1980, in Original Unity, 102–105.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 9 January 1980, in Original Unity, 107. Emphasis original.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 9 January 1980, in Original Unity, 110.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 16 January 1980, in Original Unity, 114.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 9 January 1980, in Original Unity, 111–112.

John Paul I.I. , General audience, 22 August 1984, in Reflections on Humanae Vitae, 30.

Kiely , “Principle of Inseparability,” 329–330.

Donum Vitae, ii., B., no. 4: AAS 80 (1988) 91. “Eadem vero procreatio tunc debita sua perfectione destituitur sub aspectu morali, cum animo non intenditur ut fructus coniugalis actus seu illius gestus qui est proprius unionis coniugum.” Tranaslation from Origins 16, no. 40 (1986–1987) 706.

Paul VI, encyclical Humanae Vitae, 25 July 1968, no. 14: AAS 60 (1968) 490. “actus, qui, cum coniugale commercium vel praevidetur vel efficitur vel as suos naturales exitus ducit, id tamquam finem obtinendum aut viam adhibendum intendat, ut procreatio impeditur.” Translation from Austin Flannery, ed., Vatican Council II: More Post Conciliar Documents (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1982) 2: 404.

John Paul I.I. , apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio, 22 November 1981, no. 32: AAS 74 (1982) 119.

Sacred Congregation of Rites, Ordo Celebrandi Matrimonium, 19 March 1969, Edito Typica (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1972) no. 25. “promitto me tibi fidem servaturum, inter prospera et adversa, in aegra et in sana valetudine, ut te diligam et honorem omnibus diebus vitae meae.” Translation from The Rites of the Catholic Church (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1990) 1: 727.

Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, ““Donum Vitae” and Gamete Intra-Fallopian Tube Transfer,” in “Humanae Vitae”: 20 Dopo: Anni Atti del Congresso Internazionale di Teologia Morale (Roma, 9–12 novembre 1988) (Milan: Edizioni Ares, 1989) 791–793.

Tonti-Filippini, 791; and Haas John M. , “GIFT? No!” Ethics and Medics 18, no. 9 (1993) 1.

Cataldo Peter J. , “Reproductive Technologies,” Ethics and Medics 21, no. 1 (1996) 1–3; Lloyd W. Hess, “Assisting the Infertile Couple,” Ethics and Medics 11, no. 2 (1986) 2–4; Donald McCarthy, “Gift? Yes!!” Ethics and Medics 18, no. 9 (1993) 3–4; idem., “Response,” in Reproductive Technologies, Marriage and the Church (Braintree, MA: The Pope John XXIII Medical-Moral Research Center, 1988) 140–145;idem., “TOTS is for Kids,” Ethics and Medics 13, no. 12 (1988) 1–2.

Caffarra Carlo , “The Moral Problem of Artificial Insemination,” Linacre Quarterly 55, no. 1 (1988) 42. Emphasis original. I should note that Caffarra does not discuss GIFT in this article. His concern here is artificial insemination. Nonetheless, he sets forth a criterion for judging whether a procedure assists or replaces the marital act. Applying this criterion, namely that there be a true and proper marital act, to GIFT, one draws the conclusion that GIFT assists and does not replace the marital act. Employing GIFT is a subsequent recourse to an artificial intervention that, judging by Caffarra's criterion, would assist the already posited marital act.

McCarthy , “TOTS is for Kids,” 2; idem., “Gift? Yes!,” 3–4; Cataldo, 2; Hess, 3–4.

McCarthy , “Response,” 142; idem., “GIFT? Yes!,” 4; Hess, 4.

Haas , 2.

Cataldo , 2–3.

DeMarco , 133.

Haas , 2.

Donum Vitae, II., B., no. 4: AAS 80 (1988) 91–92. Emphasis mine. “praeterea solummodo observantia erga vinculum quod inter significationes actus coniugalis intercedit, et observantia erga viventis humani unitatem id efficiunt, ut procreatio habeatur, quae unica est atque iterari nequit, filius, quoad dignitatem personae, oportet honoretur et agnoscatur aequalis ii, qui ei vitam largiuntur. Persona humana excipienda est per gestum unionis et amoris suorum parentum; ac proinde filii generation oportet sit mutuae donationis fructus, quae comitatur actum coniugalem, in quo quidem coniuges non tamquam domini, sed servorum instar operi Amoris Creatoris sociantur.” Translation from Origins 16, no. 40 (1986–1987) 706.

Tonti-Filippini , 797–798.

Seifert Josef , “Substitution of the Conjugal Act or Assistance to It? IVF, GIFT, and Some Other Medical Interventions. Philosophical Reflections on the Vatican Declaration “Donum Vitae”,” Anthropotes 4 (1988) 279.

Seifert Josef , “Substitution of the Conjugal Act or Assistance to It? IVF, GIFT, and Some Other Medical Interventions. Philosophical Reflections on the Vatican Declaration “Donum Vitae”,” Anthropotes 4 (1988), 285.

Seifert Josef , “Substitution of the Conjugal Act or Assistance to It? IVF, GIFT, and Some Other Medical Interventions. Philosophical Reflections on the Vatican Declaration “Donum Vitae”,” Anthropotes 4 (1988), 285.