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VATICAN, February 27, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Meeting with the Pontifical Academy for Life Saturday, Pope John Paul II denounced artificial procreation of which the most common procedure is in vitro fertilization.  The Pope said artificial procreation is “a technology that wants to substitute true paternity and maternity and therefore that does harm to the dignity of parents and children alike.”  John Paul II emphasized that the conjugal act in which husband and wife become father and mother “through total reciprocal gift of self makes them cooperators of the Creator while bringing a new human being into the world who is called to eternal life. This beautiful act which transcends the life of the parents cannot be substituted by a mere technological procedure which is devoid of human value and subject to the dictates of science and technology.”  He also spoke of the “dangerous manipulations in the processes of artificial procreation.”  In a personal appeal to scientists, the Pope said, “I want to encourage scientific research in order to naturally overcome sterility in married couples and I also want to urge specialists to rely on procedures which are effective for that purpose. My wish is that on the road to true prevention and authentic therapy the scientific community – this appeal goes out particularly to scientists who are believers – may be able to obtain comforting progress.”  See the full address (in Italian):  https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2004/february/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20040221_plenary-acad-life_it.html