Published: 2025-06-28

Extended Fertility a challenge for infertility couples based on the exhortation ‘Amoris laetitia’ of Pope Francis

Aleksandra Wilczek , Jan Orzeszyna Logo ORCID

Abstract

Fertility and procreation are generally considered as completely evident and natural phenomena. The desire of most married couples is to have children. This desire to have a child is intensified in the cases of married couples affected by infertility or sterility. Many questions arise then: Are such spouses exempt from the realization of marital fertility? Will they be able to resist the temptation of in vitro fertilization? Or maybe there is still a chance for them?

The aim of this article is to draw attention to the meaningful problem of spouses who wish offspring but cannot have them due to permanent infertility and do not want to undergo the in vitro procedure. First, the painful experience of infertility in marriage will be briefly described. Next, the issue called by Pope Francis "extended" fertility, involving adoption and foster care, will be deliberated. Finally, attention will be drawn to other forms of realizing "extended" fertility, namely, the perspective of the spouses' life without a child. The realization of "extended" fertility therefore appears as a challenge for infertile spouses. The inspiration for  the undertaken issues is Pope Francis' exhortation "Amoris laetitia".

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Wilczek, A., & Orzeszyna, J. (2025). Extended Fertility a challenge for infertility couples based on the exhortation ‘Amoris laetitia’ of Pope Francis. Silesian Historical and Theological Studies, 57(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.31261/SSHT.2024.57.2.04

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Vol. 57 No. 2 (2024)
Published: 2025-06-28


ISSN: 0137-3447
eISSN: 2956-6185

Publisher
Instytut Gość Media/Księgarnia św. Jacka

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