Humanae Vitae And Embryo Adoption

[kafka]

[quote name='AudreyGrace' timestamp='1299436863' post='2218539']
Although IVF and all that stuff is wrong (procreation outside of marriage) then it should be avoided at all costs. However, if a human has already been created, what is the true Christ-like thing to do? A new life has been formed and is fully deserving of our love. We should treat it just as we would a born child in an unfortunate situation. It's not THEIR fault they were conceived in the way they were.
[/quote]
I agree with you. If one is unsure whether or not a moral object, or an overall act is good or evil, one may meditate on the salvific death of Jesus and the answer should eventually be brought to light. The entire moral law is implied in the single act of Jesus dying on the Cross for mankind. I think something like this is in a document of Vatican II or one of JPII's encyclicals.

Eternal life flows from the salvific death of Jesus on the Cross symbolized by the Blood and Water. And it can be argued that all natural life (and all things) come into being by means of His salvific death on the Cross since the act is mystically, irrevocably and thoroughly united to the Divine Nature. Though this is speculative.

{12:32} And when I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself.

And Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life."”

Edited March 6, 2011 by kafka

[kafka]

here is a summary of my newest angle on the matter. I think it has merit, but I hesitate to post it, since someone of ill will could misintrepret it, but those of good will let me know what you think:

"The Church, or, in other words, the kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world. This inauguration and this growth are both symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of a crucified Jesus. . ." (Lumen Gentium)

The Spirit is sent forth by the Father and the Son in the beginning:

{1:2} But the earth was empty and unoccupied, and darknesses were over the face of the abyss; and so the Spirit of God was brought over the waters. (Genesis)

And so Creation from the beginning is directed by the Spirit toward it's first fruit which is the human nature of Jesus, and by extension his Bride the Church.
The creation of Adam and Eve is the conception of the Church (by analogy) since they were both created with sanctifying grace.

The sin of Adam (and Eve) left the Church abandoned since the punishment was that their descendents are to be conceived without sanctifying grace (except for Jesus and Mary).

However, God immediately implanted the world with the Promise (Gen 3:15).
And God then developed the Church in a sort of phase of gestation as if in a womb (by analogy) by means of the Old Testament:

{44:24} Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and your Maker from the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who alone extends the heavens, who makes the earth firm. And there is no one with me. (Isaiah)

To the point in time where Jesus was incarnated, and the Church was brought to live birth (by analogy) by means of the salvific death of Jesus on the Cross, symbolized by the Blood and Water flowing from His side (blood and water flow from mothers in live birth). It is interesting the prediction of Jesus speaking and the cry he emitted on the Cross is even described like a mother speaking at childbirth:

{42:14} I have always been quiet; I have been silent; I have been patient. I will speak like a woman giving birth. I will destroy and consume, all at once. (Isaiah)
{15:37} Then Jesus, having emitted a loud cry, expired. (Mark)

So

* The conception of a human person is like the conception of the Church with the Creation of Adam and Eve.
* The genetic parents (and cooperators) committing the sin of artificial procreation is liken to the sin of Adam and Eve.
* An adoptive mother being implanted with an abandoned frozen embryo is liken to God implanting the world with the Promise
* The abandoned human person gestating in the adoptive mother's womb is liken to God developing the Chuch in the Old Testament leading to the Incarnation
* An adoptive mother giving birth to the baby who was originally abandoned is liken to Jesus giving birth to the Church on the Cross.

God did not abandon the Church after the sin of Adam and Eve. In His infinite goodness he implanted the world with the Promise which eventually flowered into the Jesus and the birth of the Church by means of his death on the Cross. Although we refer to Him as a male to express the relationship He has with creation, and although He assumed a male human nature, God uses metaphors of mother's carrying in the womb and giving live birth to describe His great deeds.

Therefore the direct and deliberate commencement of gestation in the circumstance of an embryo adoption, where all the reasonably foreseen good consequences outweigh the bad and with a good intended end is an overall moral act.

Edited March 7, 2011 by kafka

[kafka]

here is a good article by Janet Smith, a moral theologian:

Adopting Embryos: Why Not?
http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/adopting_embryos_why_not/

Some quotes from the article:

"While Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of the Person) speaks against embryo adoption, at the press conference at which Dignitas Personae was promulgated, Archbishop Rino Fisichella announced that embryo adoption was still an open question, as did a question-and-answer sheet posted on the USCCB.org website."

[I dont agree that Dignitas Personae speaks against embryo adoption. It mentions that there seems to be no morally licit solution. Not that there is in fact none. And it mentions the dire circumstance that the situation cannot be completely resolved. Even if very many of the prenatals are adopted some will certainly die.]

"Many scholars use principles articulated in Donum Vitae (The Gift of Life) to argue against embryo adoption: Donum Vitae maintains that spouses must become parents only through each other; it maintains that surrogacy is wrong; and it maintains that freezing embryos is wrong.

These principles, however, were invoked against the whole process of in vitro fertilization; there is no reason to think Cardinal Ratzinger had embryo adoption in mind."

"I am one of those who think that gestation is a very different process from conception and that it is moral for a woman to gestate another woman’s child, much as it is moral for her to breast-feed another woman’s child.

I cannot see how gestating a child not conceived with one’s spouse breaks the marital bond in any way."

"Furthermore, I believe it would be much better for a real live woman to gestate embryonic human beings than to have machines do so. I believe a woman who offers to gestate a frozen embryo is a hero; she is saving a life; she is liberating a captive."

[kafka]

Glory and praise to our God. The Gestation of Mary!!! Has anyone ever considered this????????????????

[Adrestia]

[quote name='kafka' timestamp='1299732986' post='2219742']
Glory and praise to our God. The Gestation of Mary!!! Has anyone ever considered this????????????????
[/quote]

Sure did. She did receive a unique grace from the moment of her conception, but I still think she and St. Joseph make fabulous examples for adoptive parents.

I'm still a little torn on the idea of surrogates for adopted embryos, but I feel comfortable with an adopting mother accepting the embryos.

[kafka]

[quote name='tgoldson' timestamp='1299733675' post='2219751']
Sure did. She did receive a unique grace from the moment of her conception, but I still think she and St. Joseph make fabulous examples for adoptive parents.

I'm still a little torn on the idea of surrogates for adopted embryos, but I feel comfortable with an adopting mother accepting the embryos.
[/quote]
Mary gestating Jesus. Though if anyone considers this, be discreet in the mind and word.

And I agree with your second sentence. I am devoting a blog to this. I've started to expand and expound some thoughts and will begin posting a series of articles in a few days:

http://embryoadoptionisgood.blogspot.com/