Springfield Bishop Paprocki Supports Alabama IVF Ruling
Springfield Diocese Bishop Thomas Paprocki
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The top Catholic priest in the Springfield Diocese is weighing in on the controversial topic of In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF.
Speaking with me on WMAY Friday morning, Paprocki added fuel to the fire of an already political topic.
“…Yes, thanks for asking about that, because that is a very misunderstood topic. I think – you know – people, even in the pro-life movement, would think that, well, in vitro fertilization is a good thing because you’re helping infertile couples to have children; the problem is not in the results, it’s in the means, you know, the end just does not justify the means.
And so, unfortunately, in vitro fertilization has a couple of problems with it. It’s for one, it separates procreation from the marital act. And so in vitro is from the Latin which means in a glass dish, so it’s it’s taking the whole process of conception out of the natural communion of man and wife and putting it in a laboratory, basically. And so that’s the first problem.
Secondly is, the process involves the creation of more fertilized embryos than are needed. And so usually they’re frozen. And so we have actually millions of these frozen embryos that people don’t know what to do with them. And so what the Alabama Supreme Court decided, I think it was correct decision, that human life begins at conception.
So this was a wrongful death suit, and some of the frozen embryos were actually destroyed. And so the parents brought a lawsuit, and they won. So the court is saying, Well, yes, this is human life from the moment of conception. Because otherwise, where do you draw the line? Where does human life begin? And that’s the clearest moment when it begins.
So, you know, in terms of people who are having difficulty having children, I mean, we, yes, we sympathize with them. And people have done that. I know, Catholics as well, who have done that, I think, perhaps not knowing what the Church teaches about that. And it’s not not sinful if you don’t know something is wrong. But I think that’s why it’s important for us to be educated about this…”
Paprocki is no stranger to weighing in on social issues. He has upheld a previous ruling denying communion to U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who is pro-abortion. Paprocki also banned former House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Senate President John Cullerton from receiving communion in Springfield. He also questioned the COVID-19 vaccine.
Illinois Republicans are divided on the IVF issue, as well. Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Hindsboro) signed a letter calling the practice “morally dubious,” while Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton), a physician, praised the practice as long as fertilized eggs that weren’t viable were handled “ethically.”
Polling showed 40% of Republicans in the heavily conservative 12th Congressional District believed an IVF-fertilized egg was a human life, even if it was outside of the mother’s body. Congressman Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) narrowly defeated former senator Darren Bailey in that primary last month.
Paprocki, 71, has been Bishop of the Springfield Diocese, which covers a wide swath of the state stretching from Missouri to Indiana.
