As I was heating up my frozen dinner last night, little did I think that I would one day compare one of my organs to a microwave oven. I mean sure, there's the age old euphemism that refers to pregnancy as "having a bun in the oven," but I didn't ever think it might become somewhat literal! Shows you what I know. Science has once again mystified in its ... creative ... approaches to fertility and childbirth.

And yet, the Canadian scientific community can, in fact, now boast that it has birthed a thawed baby. Well, perhaps I am being aloof about what may be a significant scientific breakthrough, though its moral implications may not be as ingenius as the science behind it. It seems that scientists have successfully created a viable living infant from an egg which, taken from the ovary early, was matured outside of the woman's body, frozen and then later thawed and impregnated and put back into the woman to be brought to term. Talk about the truth being stranger than fiction! This would have made a great sci-fi movie way back in the day...

If I understand correctly, the purpose behind the procedure is to provide pregnancy options for women suffering from diseases that either prevent their eggs from maturing or destroy the mature eggs, such as certain types of cancers. Now, the results have not yet been replicated, and there is no indication that a pregnancy would be successful in a woman suffering from cancer, so the even the scientific jury is still out. And being that I'm not a moral theologian, I can't really make a definitive statement as to what the moral implications are based on our teachings and theology.

There are some notable differences between this new development and current fertility options, though, that make me think that our Church will need to put a little more thought behind any position it may take. For one, this procedure is done with one singular egg - there is no mass production of embryos that result in abortive procedures during the process. It is directly fertilized and then implanted, again, for the purpose of bringing this one child to term. No multiple births, and from what I have read, no hormone treatments to boost fertility.

The only objection(s) it seems to me from my limited understanding is(are) that it removes the physical act of intercourse, the unitive property of the act that calls forth the joining of man, woman and Spirit, and leaves the procreative potential to the hand of God. To me, this is certainly an important enough objection to give pause to any thought of promoting this new procedure. However, I do not live the lives of the women who may find themselves limited in their ability to bring forth life due to illnesses that are out of their control. This is a desire that is deeply embedded in so many a feminine soul, it really should not be lightly dismissed.

If what I understand of this new development is correct, there remains many a grey area as relates to ethics and morality. With so many other horrors out there, I wonder if there is room for helping women bring their own children to term, albeit in a rather unusual way, when it a)does not result in the loss of lives of other children and b) involves the biology of the married couple who are trying to have a child. I look forward to hearing what the collective wisdom of our Church has to say.