President Joe Biden, in a recent exchange with EWTN White House correspondent Owen Jensen, addressed questions about in vitro fertilization and the Catholic Church’s stance on its morality. Jensen, known for his focus on abortion rights, raised the issue amid the backdrop of a controversial Alabama Supreme Court decision declaring embryos frozen for IVF as actual children, framing their destruction as wrongful death.
The Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling has stirred political controversy, leading many, including some Republicans like Trump, to distance themselves due to its perceived unpopularity. Within the pro-life movement, influential voices, notably the Catholic Church, have expressed opposition to IVF, deeming it “immoral” or worse.
During a departure for Brownsville, Texas, where President Biden primarily addressed questions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Jensen seized the opportunity to inquire about the morality of IVF based on Catholic doctrine. Biden, a devout Catholic, asserted that he disagrees with the Catholic Church’s position on IVF, underlining his ability to separate personal beliefs from policy decisions.
While the focus was on foreign affairs, Jensen’s question brought attention to the intersection of religious beliefs and policy decisions in the end.
Q Do you expect a ceasefire by Monday, sir? Do you still expect a ceasefire is possible by Monday, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: Hope springs eternal.
Q And what is —
THE PRESIDENT: I was on the telephone with the people in the region. I’m still — probably not by Monday, but I’m hopeful.
(Cross-talk.)
Q What is your reaction (inaudible) in Gaza City? More than a hundred civilians were killed.
THE PRESIDENT: I just — we’re checking that out right now. But two — there’s two competing versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet.
Q Are you worried that will complicate these negotiations?
THE PRESIDENT: I know it will.
(Cross-talk.)
OWEN JENSEN: Mr. President, the Alabama ruling. I want to ask you about the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church said that IVF is immoral and wrong because it destroys countless human embryos. What do you say to that?
THE PRESIDENT: I don’t agree with that position.
