The Catholic Bishops, under the auspices of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), have urged Catholics and the wider Nigerian community to exercise caution regarding the rising prevalence of in vitro Fertilisation (IVF), labelling the practice as incompatible with the Church’s moral teachings.
President of CBCN and Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, who gave the warning during the opening session of the 2025 Second Plenary in Akwa Ibom State, condemned IVF as “gravely immoral” and highlighted its implications for human dignity and the sanctity of marriage.
“IVF separates the unitive and procreative aspects of the marital act, which the Church considers sinful. Additionally, it leads to the creation of multiple embryos, many of which are either discarded, frozen, or used for research. Each embryo is a human life with inherent dignity and a right to exist,” he said.
The bishops expressed concerns over the increasing number of fertility clinics in Nigeria, particularly those operated by unqualified individuals, warning that such clinics expose unsuspecting couples to financial exploitation, medical risks, and even permanent infertility.
Archbishop Ugorji also highlighted another troubling trend: young women, especially university students, who sell their eggs to clinics for small financial incentives.
“These women often do so without being fully aware of the health consequences or the moral weight of their actions,” he said.
The bishops thereby called on the government to take urgent action to regulate the fertility industry.
However, Archbishop Ugorji emphasised that even with regulation, IVF remains unacceptable for Catholics.
“The Church teaches that human life is sacred from conception. We cannot condone practices that commodify human embryos or treat them as disposable objects,” he said.
Instead, the bishops encourage Catholic couples facing infertility to explore morally acceptable options like natural procreative technologies and adoption, and to maintain their faith in God’s providence.
“Even in the face of childlessness, Christian couples are called to witness to the love and faithfulness of God,” Ugorji said.
The bishops reaffirmed their commitment to defending the sanctity of human life at every stage, reminding the faithful that true hope and healing can only come from God, not from procedures that compromise human dignity.
