Speaking out for truth with love
The Office of Natural Family Planning, as a ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, faithfully seeks to share the beauty of Catholic beliefs about human sexuality. These beliefs take root in the words of our Lord in scripture, as well as sacred traditions and teachings over the centuries. Some of the most significant teachings in this area come from the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae, published by Pope Paul VI, now St. Pope Paul VI, on July 25, 1968. Each year, our office, along with dioceses all over the country, celebrates National Natural Family Planning Awareness Week in conjunction with this anniversary to call special attention to all of the ways this prophetic document teaches and inspires us today.
Why Natural Family Planning? – NFP. Good for Life.
Many of those who practice natural family planning are still unfamiliar with the background of the document and its content. As the 20th century progressed, new attitudes about human sexuality and technologies were rapidly changing the nature of sexual relationships. Increasingly available forms of contraception were separating the sexual act from reproduction. Humanae Vitae was intended to affirm church teaching, not introduce anything new. However, before it was ever published, advocacy groups, media outlets, and even theologians and bishops leaked false reports that the church would actually approve the use of contraception. St. Pope Paul VI had to ignore all of this pressure, deciding to proceed with the publication of the encyclical, and faced brutal backlash when it was released. Still today, many people believe that it is acceptable to practice the Catholic faith while simply rejecting these teachings.
Prophetic Wisdom: Looking Out for Women and Children
Despite the continued push back, it has been reaffirmed by every pope in the decades since, and it is now easy to see how prophetic St. Pope Paul VI’s words actually were. The secular philosophy around contraception emphasizes that it gives women greater freedom and independence. Yet infidelity, sexual harassment and abuse of women all still run rampant. Rather than uplifting sexual relationships as a partnership, contraception and fertility technologies have removed responsibility from men and created a financial and emotional burden for women, in addition to a myriad of health risks associated with hormonal contraception and epidemic levels of sexually transmitted disease.
Contraception, and the later development of technologies such as in vitro fertilization, has created the mentality that we have the right to create human life at will, making children into commodities. In the 1960s, advocates argued that contraception would make abortion unnecessary and obsolete, but in fact, even as distribution of contraception skyrocketed, abortion rates did as well. As Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila noted in his 2018 pastoral letter, “Splendor of Love:”
Humanae Vitae “helps understand the link between contraception and in vitro fertilization, that is, between sex without babies, and producing babies without sex. While contraception involves removing the procreative dimension, in vitro fertilization jettisons the unitive dimension of sexual intimacy. Instead of conceiving a child in an act of love, the couple produces a child in a lab, which violates the child’s inherent dignity.”
The Language of Their Bodies
More significant than the prophetic warnings about the cultural impact of contraception, Humanae Vitae provides a hopeful framework for beautifully embracing human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in “Married Love and the Gift of Life,” “husband and wife express their committed love not only with words, but with the language of their bodies…the mutual gift of fertility is an integral part of the bonding power of marital intercourse.” Archbishop Aquila clarified, “Paul did not reject contraception because it is artificial, but because it damages the conjugal act of the spouses, which lies at the heart of their intimacy and is the sanctuary of life.” NFP respects the dignity of each spouse by making them both responsible for the sexual act and helps prevent them from treating each other as objects.
“Paul did not reject contraception because it is artificial, but because it damages the conjugal act of the spouses, which lies at the heart of their intimacy and is the sanctuary of life.”
– Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila
Understanding the free, total, faithful, and fruitful nature of sexual relationships.
In the face of so much temptation to take the “easy” way out with contraception, couples embracing Natural Family Planning can thank St. Pope Paul VI and the strength he received from the Holy Spirit for the gift of this authentic approach to sexuality. Whether you have embraced Humanae Vitae from early on in life, or it has been a refreshing renewal after the hurt caused by the contraceptive mentality, we encourage you to contact our office to learn more about our resources and events.
Learn More
This rich topic offers so much more to explore! If you would like to read further, the encyclical itself and related writings about it are accessible and inspiring.