ART

"There were a lot of priests in there," Lyly noted.
"And a bishop.  5 priests and our auxiliary bishop," I added.

The room was jam-packed.
Although the workshop was set in mid-afternoon, not one person nodded off.

A multi-billion dollar industry.
Minimal regulations.
Innovative research.

"We say we're going to get married and have children," Angelique Ruhi-López said.
"Perhaps we might want to consider saying that we receive children," Carmen Santamaría, her co-speaker shared.

"If it is to have children, then we feel entitled to them," Santamaría continued.
"Hence, all these procedures to have a baby.  Have you seen the adds for egg donors?  $5,000.00 - $10,000.00.  And these young women take drugs to hyperstimulate their ovaries so that instead of producing one mature egg a month, they are producing 10-20.  Do we know the effects of pumping drugs into young women?  No.  Yet, it is still being done," Ruhi-López pointed out.

ART.
Or Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Is it really an art?
Or playing a twisted game of Sorry! as certain embryos will be frozen indefinitely while others will "be chosen" to come to full term.

SHE.*
Sara - Hannah - Elizabeth.
She three in the Bible that faced childlessness.
And ridicule.

Times have not changed.
Except some doctors are willing to take God's place.

One in six couples face infertility.
How will I stand by them?

As a witness to a God who can give through mystery?
Or a believer of technology that becomes certain person's life-denying playthings?

Ps.  Workshop was titled "What Does the Catholic Church teach about Assisted Reproductive Technology" by Angelique Ruhi-López and Carmen Santamaría.
It was at the UD Ministry the past weekend.
ps2. *A title taken from the speakers' book, "The Infertility Companion for Catholics."
         www.catholicinfertilityjourney.com
ps3.  Photo credit: ultimatechase.com

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