3 - Bishop Burbidge on Infertility and IVF

Bishop Michael Burbidge from the Diocese of Arlington talks with Kat Talalas about the cross of infertility, the Church’s teaching on IVF, and his pastoral letter addressing both. He also shares how he became pro-life, his journey to becoming a priest and bishop, and a message of hope to couples experiencing infertility. Thank you for listening! Visit us at https://www.respectlife.org.
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Bishop Burbidge’s pastoral letter: “The Christian Family, In Vitro Fertilization, and Heroic Witness to True Love”
https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/2025/01/22/the-christian-family-in-vitro-fertilization-and-heroic-witness-to-true-love/

Resources on IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies:
https://www.usccb.org/resources/parish-leaders-kit-ivf-other-assisted-reproductive-technologies

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Intro/outro audio: “Mellow Happy Pop (Umbrella Clocks) No Synths” performed by Bopper Beats/stock.adobe.com. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2025, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introductions
• 2:52 Becoming pro-life
• 6:50 The message we all need
• 8:47 A seed is planted
• 14:11 A goalpost for discernment
• 16:06 Stepping out in faith
• 21:08 Role of the laity in selecting a bishop
• 24:35 The phone call to become a bishop
• 31:00 Serving as pro-life chairman
• 37:38 The cross of infertility
• 49:54 How to share the truth about IVF
• 57:07 Hope and the victory of Christ
• 1:00:46 The Gospel of life and joy
• 1:03:32 Closing prayer