The Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference (CEE) requested the National Assembly to archive the Organic Law Project that Regulates the Techniques and Procedures of Assisted Human Reproduction, considering that the text presented for the second debate contains provisions that affect human dignity, the right to life from conception, the best interests of the child, and other principles protected by the Constitution of Ecuador.
In a statement published on August 6, the bishops pointed out that, as part of their mission to "promote and defend human life and the family", they consider it a moral duty to express their concern regarding the report presented to the Full Assembly on July 29, 2026.
The episcopate stated that their pronouncement wants to contribute "with seriousness and rigor" to a legislative debate of great significance for life, family, and health. At the same time, it expressed its closeness to couples who face infertility issues, recognizing that their expectations and the desire to form a family "deserve real and respectful solutions for their dignity".
They question the legislative process
The bishops also expressed concern about the way the process of the project was developed. They indicated that the report for the second debate, of more than 170 pages, "was not made publicly available in a timely and accessible manner", while the call to the Plenary was made without the time necessary for its analysis.
In their view, this situation limited "the exercise of the right to citizen participation," both for civil society and for the legislators themselves.
However, they recognized some positive aspects included in the project, such as the prohibition of surrogate motherhood and the priority given to the Restorative Reproductive Medicine, considering that this seeks to diagnose and treat the causes of infertility instead of replacing them through assisted reproductive techniques.
Observations on the protection of life
One of the main questions in the statement refers to the right to life from conception.
The CEE argues that the Ecuadorian Constitution recognizes this right in its article 45 and considers that techniques such as in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and embryo cryopreservation affect that constitutional principle.
To support its position, it recalls the instruction Donum Vitae (1987), which states that "the human being must be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception", and emphasizes that this criterion coincides with what is established by the Constitution of Ecuador.
Defense of the best interest of the child
According to the statement, the project "practically subordinates the rights of the child to the will of adults", especially by maintaining the anonymity of gamete donors over the child's right to know their biological origin.
The Episcopal Conference warns that international experiences show psychological and emotional consequences for people born through anonymous donation and argues that the best interest of the child "cannot be subordinated to the desires of those who conceive them".
The bishops mention studies that link in vitro fertilization, embryonic cryopreservation, and gamete donation with congenital malformations, autism spectrum disorders, and cerebral palsy, among other conditions. They believe that the project does not adequately incorporate the precautionary principle in public health matters.
Parentage and international standards
The bishops question whether the possibility of economic compensation for gamete donation, along with the absence of clear limits on the fate of cryopreserved embryos, could favor the "commodification of the body and genetic material", particularly affecting women in vulnerable situations. In this context, they cite the instruction Dignitas Personae (2008), which warns that "the thousands of embryos that are in a state of abandonment create a situation of injustice".
The episcopate also objects that the initiative determines the affiliation only based on the procreative will of adults, considering that it sidelines the child's right to a family and modifies the existing controls in the Ecuadorian adoption system.
Furthermore, it recalls that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has stated that the regulation of these techniques must be developed from a biomedical perspective that guarantees the best conditions for gametes and embryos, attending to their potential to become persons and without disregarding fundamental rights..
"A question of civilization"
The bishops argue that the debate transcends the religious sphere and represents "a question of civilization". In the statement, they assert that the way a society treats "the embryo, the child that would be born, and the vulnerable woman" defines the type of society it wishes to build.
In that line, they cite the encyclical Evangelium Vitae by Saint John Paul II, reminding that the value of human life can be recognized "with the light of reason," both by believers and non-believers, and that the recognition of that right constitutes the foundation of human coexistence.
They add that allowing nascent life to be "produced, selected, frozen, or discarded" according to the will of others not only affects a religious conviction but also "erodes the very foundation" of the equal dignity of all people.
Defense of life and family
Although they value that the National Assembly seeks to fill the existing legal void and comply with the rulings of the Constitutional Court, the bishops consider that the project "should not be approved in the terms currently proposed". Therefore, they urge legislators to file the initiative. If the Assembly decides to continue with the process, they request suspend the voting and draft a new text that incorporates the observations raised through a transparent and respectful process of the Constitution.
Addressing the assembly members directly, the statement reminds that legislating on the origin of human life constitutes "one of the most serious tasks" that they can undertake, which is why it urges them to act with "prudence, humility, and a sense of service".
The Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference states that it will continue its commitment to "the dignity of every person from conception to their natural death" and to the child's right to a model of parentage integrated by a father and mother, in accordance —it points out— with the Constitution and the Ecuadorian constitutional jurisprudence.
It also cites the declaration Dignitas Infinita (2024), from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which considers both the use of embryos for experimental or commercial purposes and surrogacy to be contrary to human dignity, as it turns the child "into an object of a contractual agreement". The bishops entrusted "the Ecuadorian families and our legislators to the protection of God, the source of all life".
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