Donum Vitae is the Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation which was issued on February 22, 1987 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It addresses biomedical issues from the Roman Catholic Church's perspective. The document specifically indicated that the Church was opposed to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Given that IVF was relatively new at the time, this position provoked lively debate when it was first announced.