EWTN News reports that during National Infertility Awareness Week (April 19–25, 2026), author Leigh Fitzpatrick Snead shared her personal experience of infertility and encouraged Catholic couples to seek support, understand Church teaching against IVF, and consider adoption. The article presents infertility as a “private cross,” emphasizes the prohibition of in vitro fertilization, and suggests resources such as Springs in the Desert and NaProTechnology. While the article correctly rejects IVF, it operates within a framework that reduces the Church’s mission to psychological comfort and naturalistic solutions, omitting any reference to the supernatural order, the necessity of sanctifying grace, the reality of original sin, or the public duty of nations to submit to Christ the King. This silence reveals the modernist impoverishment of post-conciliar pastoral care, which offers sympathy but not salvation, and substitutes human effort for divine mercy.
The Reduction of Suffering to a “Private Cross”
The article frames infertility as a “private cross” and emphasizes emotional isolation, shame, and the need for community support. Snead states: “There is a lot of hard stuff experienced in silence and even shame… you should open yourself up to their prayers.” While the call to communal prayer is commendable, the language remains trapped in the psychological register. There is no mention of the soul’s state of grace, the necessity of frequent confession, or the reality that suffering—however painful—is only redemptive when united to the Sacrifice of the Cross and offered through the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Church has always taught that suffering, while a consequence of original sin, becomes a means of sanctification when accepted with faith and hope in divine providence. St. Paul writes: “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Colossians 1:24). The article, however, reduces suffering to a social and emotional problem, not a supernatural opportunity for merit and union with Christ.
The Prohibition of IVF: Correct Doctrine, Incomplete Foundation
The article correctly notes that IVF is “not an option” for Catholics and encourages couples to seek medical care aligned with Church teaching. Snead advises: “Seek good medical care that aligns with your values. Learn and develop a good understanding of what the Church teaches, especially about the prohibition of IVF. Understand the ‘why’ — not just the fact that it’s ‘not allowed.'”i>
This is doctrinally sound, but the article fails to articulate the full theological reason: IVF separates the unitive and procreative ends of marriage, treats the child as a product, and often involves the destruction of embryonic persons—each of whom possesses an immortal soul from the moment of conception. The Church’s teaching is not merely a disciplinary rule but a consequence of the natural law and the divine constitution of marriage as a sacrament.
Moreover, the article omits any reference to the intrinsic evil of contraception, which is the root of the culture that makes IVF seem necessary. Pope Pius XI, in Casti Connubii (1930), condemned contraception as “an offense against the law of God and of nature” and warned that those who deliberately frustrate the procreative end of marriage “sin against nature and commit a deed which is shameful and intrinsically vicious.” Without this context, the rejection of IVF appears arbitrary rather than logical.
The Silence on Adoption and the Supernatural Vocation
Snead mentions her own experience of adoption and cautions against conflating it with infertility: “Infertility and adoption are not to be lumped together… Not everyone with a diagnosis of infertility will be called to adopt a child. There are so many ways to be fruitful!”
While it is true that adoption is not obligatory, the article fails to present adoption as a supernatural vocation—a participation in God’s fatherhood and a reflection of the adoption of the faithful as sons and daughters of God through baptism. The Church has always held adoption in high esteem, not merely as a solution to childlessness but as an act of charity and justice. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that the virtue of piety extends to one’s country and to those in need of care (Summa Theologiae II-II, Q. 101).
Furthermore, the article’s assertion that “there are so many ways to be fruitful” risks minimizing the pain of infertility and suggesting that spiritual fruitfulness is a mere consolation prize. The Church teaches that marriage is ordered by its nature to the procreation and education of children (Code of Canon Law, 1917, Canon 1013). While spiritual fruitfulness is real, it does not replace the primary end of marriage but complements it.
The Absence of the Supernatural Order and the Reign of Christ the King
The most glaring omission in the article is any reference to the supernatural order. There is no mention of the necessity of sanctifying grace, the reality of purgatory, or the intercession of the saints. The article suggests practical steps—medical care, support groups, prayer—but never directs the reader to the sacraments as the primary source of grace and strength.
Pope Pius XI, in Quas Primas (1925), established the Feast of Christ the King to remind the world that Christ’s reign extends over all aspects of life, including marriage and family. He wrote: “His reign, namely, extends not only to Catholic nations or to those who, by receiving baptism according to law, belong to the Church, even though their erroneous opinions have led them astray or discord has separated them from love, but His reign encompasses also all non-Christians, so that most truly the entire human race is subject to the authority of Jesus Christ.”
The article, however, operates as if Christ’s kingship were irrelevant to the discussion of infertility. There is no call for nations to submit to God’s law, no condemnation of the secular culture that promotes IVF and contraception, and no reminder that the family is a domestic church whose health depends on the fidelity of its members to the teachings of Christ and His Church.
The Modernist Tendency: Pastoral Care Without Doctrine
The article’s tone is sympathetic and encouraging, but it reflects the modernist tendency to prioritize feelings over truth. Snead says: “I wish I hadn’t overlooked and underestimated the relief and comfort I could have received by being more open about my physical and emotional struggles.” While openness is valuable, the article never challenges the reader to embrace the cross with faith and hope in the resurrection.
The Church has always taught that suffering, when united to Christ’s Passion, has infinite merit. St. John of the Cross writes: “In the evening, we will be judged on love.” The article, however, offers no such supernatural perspective. It is content to offer human comfort and practical advice, leaving the reader in the natural order.
Conclusion: The Need for Integral Catholic Teaching
The article from EWTN News, while well-intentioned and doctrinally correct in its rejection of IVF, suffers from the limitations of post-conciliar pastoral care. It reduces infertility to a psychological and social problem, omits the supernatural foundation of suffering, and ignores the public reign of Christ the King over marriage and family.
Couples struggling with infertility deserve more than sympathy and support groups. They deserve the fullness of Catholic teaching: the necessity of sanctifying grace, the reality of original sin, the redemptive value of suffering, and the hope of eternal life. Only in the light of faith can the cross of infertility be borne with patience and merit.
As Pope Pius IX declared in the Syllabus of Errors: “The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization” (Proposition 80, condemned). The Church must not adapt to the world’s view of suffering but proclaim the Gospel of the Cross, which alone gives meaning to human pain.
Source:
1 in 6 face infertility; Catholic author urges faith-filled support (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 24.04.2026