Lithuanian bishops urge parliament to reject assisted reproduction bill

The Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference has called on the Seimas to reject the current draft of the Assisted Reproduction Law, arguing it undermines traditional family values and allows procedures they consider ethically unacceptable, LRT reports.

In a statement, the conference opposed provisions permitting the use of deceased persons’ cells for reproduction and granting single women access to assisted fertility treatments. Legal advisor Zigmas Garalevičius, speaking before the Seimas Human Rights Committee, warned that the bill “completely separates family, as defined in the Constitution, from the possibility of assisted reproduction.”

The committee had earlier endorsed the draft law in principle, proposing to expand access to assisted reproduction for all women regardless of marital status or medical infertility. Under the proposed changes, women experiencing “social infertility” could qualify, though state health insurance would not cover costs without a medical diagnosis. The committee also recommended removing requirements for couples to prove cohabitation or intent to form a family.

Opposition to single women’s access was also voiced by the Lithuanian Doctors’ Association “For Human Life,” the Free Society Institute, and the National Family and Parents’ Association. However, the Human Rights Committee defended the right to reproductive autonomy, calling single mothers’ decisions to raise children “commendable.”

The bill now awaits further parliamentary debate.