(Or you can skip to Part 6 and Part 7 if you like.)
I now
present Part 5 of the Series in this posting. Entitled “Humanae Vitae: Ground Zero For Our Modern Contraceptive Society.”
No study of contraception in our times can be placed in proper context without a
reading of the explosive papal encyclical of 1968, issued at very nearly the
zenith of the 20th Century Sexual Revolution. As one astute observer
noted,
“this is one doctrine the world loves to hate… if there’s anything on earth
that unites the Church’s adversaries—all of them except for the Muslims,
anyway—the teaching against contraception is probably it.”
A
Wikipedia entry
provides a useful introduction, but the encyclical itself is well worth the
reading.
Humanae Vitae (Latin Of Human Life) is an encyclical
written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it
re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic
Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continued
rejection of most forms of birth control.
Mainly
because of its prohibition of all forms of artificial contraception, the
encyclical was controversial, as it rejected the majority report on the
subject, embracing a minority report maintaining the status quo, and Paul VI
did not issue any additional encyclicals in the remaining ten years of his
pontificate. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI called this topic "so
controversial, yet so crucial for humanity's future". Humanae Vitae became "a sign of contradiction but also of
continuity of the Church's doctrine and tradition... What was true yesterday is
true also today."[1]
Summary
Affirmation
of traditional teaching
In
this encyclical Paul
VI reaffirmed the Catholic Church's traditional view of marriage and
marital relations and a continued condemnation of artificial birth
control. There were two Papal committees and numerous independent experts
looking into the latest advancement of science and medicine on the question of
artificial birth control,[2] which
were noted by the Pope in his encyclical.[3]
The expressed views of Paul VI reflected the teachings of his predecessors,
especially Pius
XI,[4]
Pius XII[5] and John XXIII,[6] all of
whom had insisted on the divine obligations of the marital partners in light of
their partnership with God the creator.
---------------------------------------------------------
Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI on the Regulation of Birth
(July 25, 1968)
To the venerable
patriarchs, archbishops
and bishops and other
local ordinaries in peace and communion with the Apostolic See; to priests, the faithful and
to all men of goodwill.
Venerable Brothers and
Beloved Sons:
THE MOST SERIOUS DUTY of transmitting human life, for which
married persons are the free and responsible collaborators of God the Creator, has
always been a source of great joys to them, even if sometimes accompanied by
not a few difficulties and distress.
At all times the fulfillment of this duty has posed grave
problems to the conscience
of married persons, but, with the recent evolution of society, changes have
taken place that give rise to new questions which the Church could not ignore,
having to do with a matter which so closely touches upon the life and happiness
of men.
I. PROBLEM AND COMPETENCY OF THE MAGISTERIUM
2. The changes which have taken place are in fact noteworthy
and of varied kinds. In the first place, there is the rapid demographic
development. Fear is shown by many that world population is growing more
rapidly than the available resources, with growing distress to many families
and developing countries, so that the temptation for authorities to counter
this danger with radical measures is great. Moreover, working and lodging
conditions, as well as increased exigencies both in the economic field and in
that of education, often make the proper education of a larger number of
children difficult today.
A change is also seen both in the manner of considering the
person of woman and her place in society, and in the value to be attributed to
conjugal love in marriage, and also to the appreciation to be made of the
meaning of conjugal acts in relation to that love.
Finally and above all, man has made stupendous progress in
the domination and rational organization of the forces of nature, such that he
tends to extend this domination to his own total being: to the body, to
psychical life, to social life and even to the laws which regulate the
transmission of life.
New Questions
3. This new state of things gives rise to new questions.
Granted the conditions of life today, and granting the meaning which conjugal
relations have with respect to the harmony between husband and wife and to
their mutual fidelity, would not a revision of the ethical norms, in force up
to now, seem to be advisable, especially when it is considered that they cannot
be observed without sacrifices, sometimes heroic sacrifices?
And again: by extending to this field the application of the
so-called "principle of totality," could it not be admitted that the
intention of a less abundant but more rationalized fecundity might transform a
materially sterilizing intervention into a licit and wise control of birth?
Could it not be admitted, that is, that the finality of procreation pertains to
the ensemble of conjugal life, rather than to its single acts? It is also asked
whether in view of the increased sense of responsibility of modern man, the
moment has not come for him to entrust to his reason and his will, rather than to the
biological rhythms of his organism, the task of regulating birth.
Competency of the Magisterium
4. Such questions required from the teaching authority of the
Church a new and deeper reflection upon the principles of moral teaching on
marriage: a teaching founded on the natural law, illuminated and enriched by divine revelation.
No believer will wish to deny that the teaching authority of
the Church is competent to interpret even the natural moral law. It is, in
fact, indisputable, as our predecessors have many times declared [1], that Jesus Christ, when
communicating to Peter
and to the Apostles
His divine authority and sending them to teach all nations His commandments
[2], constituted them as guardians and authentic interpreters of all the moral
law, not only, that is, of the law of the Gospel, but also of the natural law,
which is also an expression of the will of God, the faithful fulfillment of
which is equally necessary for salvation [3].
In carrying out this mandate, the Church has always issued
appropriate documents on the nature of marriage, the correct use of conjugal
rights, and the duties of spouses. These documents have been more copious in
recent times. (4)
Special Studies
5. The consciousness of that same mission induced us to
confirm and enlarge the study commission which our predecessor Pope John XXIII
of happy memory instituted in March, 1963. That commission which included,
besides several experts in the various pertinent disciplines also married
couples, had as its scope the gathering of opinions on the new questions
regarding conjugal life, and in particular on the regulation of births, and of
furnishing opportune elements of information so that the magisterium could give
an adequate reply to the expectation not only of the faithful, but also of
world opinion [5].
The work of these experts, as well as the successive
judgements and counsels spontaneously forwarded by or expressly requested from
a good number of our brothers in the episcopate, have permitted us to measure
more exactly all the aspects of this complex matter. Hence with all our heart
we express to each of them our lively gratitude.
Reply of the Magisterium
6. The conclusions at which the commission arrived could
not, nevertheless, be considered by us as definitive, nor dispense us from a
personal examination of this serious question; and this also because, within
the commission itself, no full concordance of judgements concerning the moral
norms to be proposed had been reached, and above all because certain criteria
of solutions had emerged which departed from the moral teaching on marriage
proposed with constant firmness by the teaching authority of the Church.
Therefore, having attentively sifted the documentation laid
before us, after mature reflection and assiduous prayers, we now intend,
by virtue of the mandate entrusted to us by Christ, to give our reply to these
grave questions.
II. DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES
A Total Vision of Man
7. The problem of birth, like every other problem regarding
human life, is to be considered, beyond partial perspectives -- whether of the
biological or psychological, demographic or sociological orders -- in the light
of an integral vision of man and of his vocation, not only his natural and
earthly, but also his supernatural and eternal vocation. And since, in the
attempt to justify artificial methods of birth control, many have appealed to
the demands both of conjugal love and of "responsible parenthood," it
is good to state very precisely the true concept of these two great realities
of married life, referring principally to what was recently set forth in this
regard, and in a highly authorative form, but the Second Vatican Council in its
pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes.
Conjugal Love
8. Conjugal love reveals its true nature and nobility when it is considered in its supreme origin, God, who is love [6], "the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named" [7].
8. Conjugal love reveals its true nature and nobility when it is considered in its supreme origin, God, who is love [6], "the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named" [7].
Marriage is not, then, the effect of chance or the product
of evolution of unconscious natural forces; it is the wise institution of the
Creator to realize in mankind His design of love. By means of the reciprocal
personal gift of self, proper and exclusive to them, husband and wife tend
towards the communication of their beings in view of mutual personal
perfection, to collaborate with God in the generation and education of new
lives.
For baptized persons, moreover, marriage invests the dignity
of a sacramental sign of grace, inasmuch as it represents the union of Christ
and of the Church.
Its Characteristics
9. Under this light, there clearly appear the characteristic
marks and demands of conjugal love, and it is of supreme importance to have an
exact idea of these.
This love is first of all fully human, that is to say, of
the senses and of the spirit at the same time. It is not, then, a simple
transport of instinct and sentiment, but also, and principally, an act of the free will, intended to
endure and to grow by means of the joys and sorrows of daily life, in such a way
that husband and wife become one only heart and one only soul, and together
attain their human perfection.
Then, this love is total, that is to say, it is a very
special form of personal friendship, in which husband and wife generously share
everything, without undue reservations of selfish calculations. Whoever truly
loves his marriage partner loves not only for what he receives, but for the
partner's self, rejoicing that he can enrich his partner with the gift of
himself.
Again, this love is faithful and exclusive until death.
Thus in fact do bride and groom conceive it to be on the day when they freely
and in full awareness assume the duty of the marriage bond. A fidelity, this,
which can sometimes be difficult, but is always possible, always noble and
meritorious, as no one can deny. The example of so many married persons down
through the centuries shows, not only that fidelity is according to the nature
of marriage, but also that it is a source of profound and lasting happiness.
And finally this love is fecund for it is not exhausted by
the communion between husband and wife, but is destined to continue, raising up
new lives. "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward
the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift
of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their
parents" [8].
Responsible Parenthood
10. Hence conjugal love requires in husband and wife an
awareness of their mission of "responsible parenthood," which today is
rightly much insisted upon, and which also must be exactly understood.
Consequently it is to be considered under different aspects which are
legitimate and connect with one another.
In relation to the biological processes, responsible
parenthood means the knowledge and respect of their functions; human intellect
discovers in the power of giving life biological laws which are part of the
human person [9].
In relation to the tendencies of instinct and passion, responsible
parenthood means that necessary dominion which reason and will must exercise
over them.
In relation to physical, economic, psychological and social
conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised, either by the deliberate and generous
decision to raise a numerous family, or by the decision, made for grave motives
and with due respect for the moral law, to avoid for the time being, or even
for an indeterminate period, a new birth.
Responsible parenthood also and above all implies a more profound relationship to the objective moral order established by God, of which a right conscience is the faithful interpreter. The responsible exercise of parenthood implies, therefore, that husband and wife recognize fully their own duties towards God, towards themselves, towards the family and towards society, in a correct hierarchy of values.
Responsible parenthood also and above all implies a more profound relationship to the objective moral order established by God, of which a right conscience is the faithful interpreter. The responsible exercise of parenthood implies, therefore, that husband and wife recognize fully their own duties towards God, towards themselves, towards the family and towards society, in a correct hierarchy of values.
In the task of transmitting life, therefore, they are not
free to proceed completely at will, as if they could determine in a wholly
autonomous way the honest path to follow; but they must conform their activity
to the creative intention of God, expressed in the very nature of marriage and
of its acts, and manifested by the constant teaching of the Church [10].
Respect for the Nature and Purpose of the Marriage Act
11. These acts, by which husband and wife are united in
chaste intimacy, and by means of which human life is transmitted, are, as the
Council recalled, "noble and worthy" [11], and they do not cease to
be lawful if, for causes independent of the will of the husband and wife, they
are foreseen to be infecund, since they always remain ordained towards
expressing and consolidating their union. In fact, as experience bears witness,
not every conjugal act is followed by new life. God has wisely disposed natural
laws and rhythms of fecundity which, of themselves, cause a separation in the
succession of births. Nonetheless the Church, calling men back to the
observance of the norms of the natural law, as interpreted by their constant
doctrine, teaches that each and every marriage act (quilibet matrimonii usus)
must remain open to the transmission of life [12].
Two Inseparable Aspects: Union and Procreation
12. That teaching, often set forth by the magisterium, is
founded upon the inseparable connection, willed by God and unable to be broken
by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the
unitive meaning and the procreative meaning. Indeed, by its intimate structure,
the conjugal act, while most closely uniting husband and wife, capacitates them
for the generation of new lives, according to laws inscribed in the very being
of man and of woman. By safeguarding both these essential aspects, the unitive
and the procreative, the conjugal act preserves in its fullness the sense of
true mutual love and its ordination towards man's most high calling to
parenthood. We believe that the men of our day are particularly capable of
seizing the deeply reasonable and human character of this fundamental
principle.
Faithfulness to God's Design
13. It is in fact justly observed that a conjugal act
imposed upon one's partner without regard for his or her condition and lawful
desires is not a true act of love, and therefore denies an exigency of moral
right order in the relationships between husband and wife. Likewise, if they
consider the matter, they must admit that an act of mutual love, which is
detrimental to the faculty of propagating life, which God the Creator of all, has
implanted in it according to special laws, is in contradiction to both the
divine plan, according to whose norm matrimony has been instituted, and the
will of the Author of human life. To use this divine gift destroying, even if
only partially, its meaning and its purpose is to contradict also the plan of
God and His will. On the other hand, to make use of the gift of conjugal love
while respecting the laws of the generative process means to acknowledge
oneself not to be the arbiter of the sources of human life, but rather the
minister of the design established by the Creator. In fact, just as man does
not have unlimited dominion over his body in general, so also, with particular
reason, he has no such dominion over his generative faculties as such, because
of their intrinsic ordination towards raising up life, of which God is the
principle. "Human life is sacred," Pope John XXIII recalled;
"from its inception it reveals the creating hand of God" [13].
Illicit Ways of Regulating Birth
14. In conformity with these landmarks in the human and Christian vision of marriage, we must once again declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun, and, above all, directly willed and procured abortion, even if for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as licit means of regulating birth [14].
14. In conformity with these landmarks in the human and Christian vision of marriage, we must once again declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun, and, above all, directly willed and procured abortion, even if for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as licit means of regulating birth [14].
Equally to be excluded, as the teaching authority of the Church has frequently declared, is direct sterilization, whether perpetual or temporary, whether of the man or of the woman [15].
Similarly excluded is every action which, either in
anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the
development of its natural consequences, propose, whether as an end or as a
means, to render procreation impossible [16].
To justify conjugal acts made intentionally infecund, one
cannot invoke as valid reasons the lesser evil, or the fact that such acts
would constitute a whole together with the fecund acts already performed or to
follow later, and hence would share in one and the same moral goodness. In
truth, if it is sometimes licit to tolerate a lesser evil in order to avoid a
greater evil to promote a greater good [17], it is not licit, even for the
gravest reasons, to do evil so that good may follow therefrom [18]; that is to
make into the object of a positive act of the will something which is
intrinsically disorder, and hence unworthy of the human person, even when the
intention is to safeguard or promote individual, family or social well-being.
Consequently it is an error to think that a conjugal act which is deliberately
made infecund and so is intrinsically dishonest could be made honest and right
by the ensemble of a fecund conjugal life.
Licitness of Therapeutic Means
15. The Church, on the contrary, does not at all consider
illicit the use of those therapeutic means truly necessary to cure diseases of
the organism, even if an impediment to procreation, which may be foreseen,
should result therefrom, provided such impediment is not, for whatever motive,
directly willed [19].
Licitness of Recourse to Infecund Periods
16. To this teaching of the Church on conjugal morals, the
objection is made today, as we observed earlier (no. 3), that it is the
prerogative of the human intellect to dominate the energies offered by
irrational nature and to orientate them towards an end conformable to the good
of man. Now some may ask: in the present case, is it not reasonable in many
circumstances to have recourse to artificial birth control if, thereby, we
secure the harmony and peace of the family, and better conditions for the
education of the children already born? To this question it is necessary to
reply with clarity: the Church is the first to praise and recommend the intervention
of intelligence in a function which so closely associates the rational creature
with his Creator; but she affirms that this must be done with respect for the
order established by God.
If, then, there are serious motives to space out births,
which derive from the physical or psychological conditions of husband and wife,
or from external conditions, the Church teaches that it is then licit to take
into account the natural rhythms immanent in the generative functions, for the
use of marriage in the infecund periods only, and in this way to regulate birth
without offending the moral principles which have been recalled earlier [20].
The Church is coherent with herself when she considers
recourse to the infecund periods to be licit, while at the same time
condemning, as being always illicit, the use of means directly contrary to
fecundation, even if such use is inspired by reasons which may appear honest
and serious. In reality, there are essential differences between the two cases;
in the former, the married couple make legitimate use of a natural disposition;
in the latter, they impede the development of natural processes. It is true
that, in the one and the other case, the married couple are concordant in the
positive will of avoiding children for plausible reasons, seeking the certainty
that offspring will not arrive; but it is also true that only in the former
case are they able to renounce the use of marriage in the fecund periods when,
for just motives, procreation is not desirable, while making use of it during
infecund periods to manifest their affection and to safeguard their mutual
fidelity. By so doing, they give proof of a truly and integrally honest love.
Grave Consequences of Methods of Artificial Birth Control
17. Upright men can even better convince themselves of the
solid grounds on which the teaching of the Church in this field is based, if
they care to reflect upon the consequences of methods of artificial birth
control. Let them consider, first of all, how wide and easy a road would thus
be opened up towards conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality.
Not much experience is needed in order to know human weakness, and to
understand that men -- especially the young, who are so vulnerable on this
point -- have need of encouragement to be faithful to the moral law, so that
they must not be offered some easy means of eluding its observance. It is also
to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anti-conceptive
practices, may finally lose respect for the woman and, no longer caring for her
physical and psychological equilibrium, may come to the point of considering
her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer his respected and
beloved companion.
Let it be considered also that a dangerous weapon would thus
be placed in the hands of those public authorities who take no heed of moral
exigencies. Who could blame a government for applying to the solution of the
problems of the community those means acknowledged to be licit for married
couples in the solution of a family problem? Who will stop rulers from
favoring, from even imposing upon their peoples, if they were to consider it
necessary, the method of contraception which they judge to be more efficacious?
In such a way men, wishing to avoid individual, family, or social difficulties
encountered in the observance of the divine law, would reach the point of
placing at the mercy of the intervention of public authorities the most
personal and most reserved sector of conjugal intimacy.
Limits to Man’s Power
Consequently, if the mission of generating life is not to be
exposed to the arbitrary will of men, one must necessarily recognize
insurmountable limits to the possibility of man's domination over his own body
and its functions; limits which no man, whether a private individual or one
invested with authority, may licitly surpass. And such limits cannot be
determined otherwise than by the respect due to the integrity of the human
organism and its functions, according to the principles recalled earlier, and
also according to the correct understanding of the "principle of
totality" illustrated by our predecessor Pope Pius XII [21].
The Church Guarantor of True Human Values
18. It can be foreseen that this teaching will perhaps not
be easily received by all: Too numerous are those voices -- amplified by the
modern means of propaganda -- which are contrary to the voice of the Church. To
tell the truth, the Church is not surprised to be made, like her divine
Founder, a "sign of contradiction" [22], yet she does not because of
this cease to proclaim with humble firmness the entire moral law, both natural
and evangelical. Of such laws the Church was not the author, nor consequently
can she be their arbiter; she is only their depositary and their interpreter,
without ever being able to declare to be licit that which is not so by reason
of its intimate and unchangeable opposition to the true good of man.
In defending conjugal morals in their integral wholeness,
the Church knows that she contributes toward the establishment of a truly human
civilization; she engages man not to abdicate from his own responsibility in
order to rely on technical means; by that very fact she defends the dignity of
man and wife. Faithful to both the teaching and the example of the Saviour, she
shows herself to be the sincere and disinterested friend of men, whom she
wishes to help, even during their earthly sojourn, "to share as sons in
the life of the living of God, the Father of all men" [23].
III. PASTORAL DIRECTIVES
The Church: Mater et Magistra
19. Our words would not be an adequate expression of the
thought and solicitude of the Church, Mother and Teacher of all peoples, if,
after having recalled men to the observance and respect of the divine law
regarding matrimony, we did not strengthen them in the path of honest
regulation of birth, even amid the difficult conditions which today afflict
families and peoples. The Church, in fact, cannot have a different conduct
towards men than that of the Redeemer: She knows their weaknesses, has
compassion on the crowd, receives sinners; but she cannot renounce the teaching
of the law which is, in reality, that law proper to a human life restored to
its original truth and conducted by the spirit of God [24].
Possibility of Observing the Divine Law
20. The teaching of the Church on the regulation of birth,
which promulgates the divine law, will easily appear to many to be difficult or
even impossible of actuation. And indeed, like all great beneficent realities,
it demands serious engagement and much effort, individual, family and social
effort. More than that, it would not be practicable without the help of God,
who upholds and strengthens the good will of men. Yet, to anyone who reflects
well, it cannot but be clear that such efforts ennoble man and are beneficial
to the human community.
Mastery of Self
21. The honest practice of regulation of birth demands first
of all that husband and wife acquire and possess solid convictions concerning
the true values of life and of the family, and that they tend towards securing
perfect self-mastery. To dominate instinct by means of one's reason and free
will undoubtedly requires ascetical practices, so that the affective
manifestations of conjugal life may observe the correct order, in particular
with regard to the observance of periodic continence. Yet this discipline which
is proper to the purity of married couples, far from harming conjugal love,
rather confers on it a higher human value. It demands continual effort yet,
thanks to its beneficent influence, husband and wife fully develop their
personalities, being enriched with spiritual values. Such discipline bestows
upon family life fruits of serenity and peace, and facilitates the solution of
other problems; it fosters attention for one's partner, helps both parties to
drive out selfishness, the enemy of true love; and deepens their sense of
responsibility. By its means, parents acquire the capacity of having a deeper
and more efficacious influence in the education of their offspring: little
children and youths grow up with a just appraisal of human values, and in the
serene and harmonious development of their spiritual and sensitive faculties.
Creating an Atmosphere Favorable to Chastity
22. On this occasion, we wish to draw the attention of
educators, and of all who perform duties of responsibility in regard to the
common good of human society, to the need of creating an atmosphere favorable
to education in chastity, that is, to the triumph of healthy liberty over
license by means of respect for the moral order.
Everything in the modern media of social communication which leads to sense excitation and unbridled customs, as well as every form of pornography and licentious performances, must arouse the frank and unanimous reaction of all those who are solicitous for the progress of civilization and the defense of the common good of the human spirit. Vainly would one seek to justify such deprivation with the pretext of artistic or scientific exigencies [25], or to deduce an argument from the freedom allowed in this sector by the public authorities.
Everything in the modern media of social communication which leads to sense excitation and unbridled customs, as well as every form of pornography and licentious performances, must arouse the frank and unanimous reaction of all those who are solicitous for the progress of civilization and the defense of the common good of the human spirit. Vainly would one seek to justify such deprivation with the pretext of artistic or scientific exigencies [25], or to deduce an argument from the freedom allowed in this sector by the public authorities.
Appeal to Public Authorities
23. To Rulers, who are those principally responsible for the
common good, and who can do so much to safeguard moral customs, we say: Do not
allow the morality of your peoples to be degraded; do not permit that by legal
means practices contrary to the natural and divine law be introduced into that
fundamental cell, the family. Quite other is the way in which public
authorities can and must contribute to the solution of the demographic problem:
namely, the way of a provident policy for the family, of a wise education of
peoples in respect of moral law and the liberty of citizens.
Seeking True Solutions
We are well aware of the serious difficulties experienced by
public authorities in this regard, especially in the developing countries. To
their legitimate preoccupations we devoted our encyclical letter Populorum
Progressio. But with our predecessor Pope John XXIII, we repeat: no solution
to these difficulties is acceptable "which does violence to man's
essential dignity" and is based only on an utterly materialistic
conception of man himself and of his life. The only possible solution to this
question is one which envisages the social and economic progress both of
individuals and of the whole human society, and which respects and promotes
true human values [26]. Neither can one, without grave injustice, consider
divine providence to be responsible for what depends, instead, on a lack of
wisdom in government, on an insufficient sense of social justice, on selfish
monopolization, or again on blameworthy indolence in confronting the efforts
and the sacrifices necessary to ensure the raising of living standards of a
people and all of its sons [27].
May all responsible public authorities -- as some are
already doing so laudably -- generously revive their efforts. And may mutual
aid between all the members of the great human family never cease to grow: This
is an almost limitless field which thus opens up to the activity of the great
international organizations.
To Men of Science
24. We wish now to express our encouragement to men of
science, who "can considerably advance the welfare of marriage and the
family, along with peace of conscience, if by pooling their efforts they labor
to explain more thoroughly the various conditions favoring a proper regulation
of births" [28]. It is particularly desirable that, according to the wish
already expressed by Pope Pius XII, medical science succeed in providing a
sufficiently secure basis for a regulation of birth, founded on the observance
of natural rhythms [29]. In this way, scientists and especially Catholic
scientists will contribute to demonstrate in actual fact that, as the Church
teaches, "a true contradiction cannot exist between the divine laws
pertaining to the transmission of life and those pertaining to the fostering of
authentic conjugal love" [30].
To Christian Husbands and Wives
25. And now our words more directly address our own
children, particularly those whom God calls to serve Him in marriage. The
Church, while teaching imprescriptible demands of the divine law, announces the
tidings of salvation, and by means of the sacraments opens up the paths of
grace, which makes man a new creature, capable of corresponding with love and
true freedom to the design of his Creator and Saviour, and of finding the yoke
of Christ to be sweet [31].
Christian married couples, then, docile to her voice, must
remember that their Christian vocation, which began at baptism, is further
specified and reinforced by the sacrament of matrimony. By it husband and wife
are strengthened and as it were consecrated for the faithful accomplishment of
their proper duties, for the carrying out of their proper vocation even to
perfection, and the Christian witness which is proper to them before the whole
world [32]. To them the Lord entrusts the task of making visible to men the
holiness and sweetness of the law which unites the mutual love of husband and
wife with their cooperation with the love of God the author of human life.
We do not at all intend to hide the sometimes serious
difficulties inherent in the life of Christian married persons; for them as for
everyone else, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to
life" [33]. But the hope of that life must illuminate their way, as with
courage they strive to live with wisdom, justice and piety in this present time
[34], knowing that the figure of this world passes away [35].
Let married couples, then, face up to the efforts needed,
supported by the faith and hope which "do not disappoint ... because God's
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been
given to us" [36]; let them implore divine assistance by persevering
prayer; above all, let them draw from the source of grace and charity in the Eucharist. And if sin
should still keep its hold over them, let them not be discouraged, but rather
have recourse with humbler perseverance to the mercy of God, which is poured
forth in the sacrament of
Penance. In this way they will be enabled to achieve the fullness of
conjugal life described by the Apostle: "husbands, love your wives, as
Christ loved the Church ... husbands should love their wives as their own
bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own
flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the Church ... this is a
great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church. However, let
each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she
respects her husband" [37].
Apostolate in Homes
26. Among the fruits which ripen forth from a generous
effort of fidelity to the divine law, one of the most precious is that married
couples themselves not infrequently feel the desire to communicate their
experience to others. Thus there comes to be included in the vast pattern of the
vocation of the laity a new and most noteworthy form of the apostolate of like
to like; it is married couples themselves who become apostles and guides to
other married couples. This is assuredly, among so many forms of apostolate,
one of those which seem most opportune today [38].
To Doctors and Medical Personnel
27. We hold those physicians and medical personnel in the
highest esteem who, in the exercise of their profession, value above every
human interest the superior demands of their Christian vocation. Let them
persevere, therefore, in promoting on every occasion the discovery of solutions
inspired by faith and right reason, let them strive to arouse this conviction
and this respect in their associates. Let them also consider as their proper professional
duty the task of acquiring all the knowledge needed in this delicate sector, so
as to be able to give to those married persons who consult them wise counsel
and healthy direction, such as they have a right to expect.
To Priests
28. Beloved priest sons, by vocation you are the counselors
and spiritual guides of individual persons and of families. We now turn to you
with confidence. Your first task -- especially in the case of those who teach
moral theology -- is to expound the Church's teaching on marriage without
ambiguity. Be the first to give, in the exercise of your ministry, the example
of loyal internal and external obedience to the teaching authority of the
Church. That obedience, as you know well, obliges not only because of the
reasons adduced, but rather because of the light of the Holy Spirit, which is
given in a particular way to the pastors of the Church in order that they may
illustrate the truth [39]. You know, too, that it is of the utmost importance,
for peace of consciences and for the unity of the Christian people, that in the
field of morals as
well as in that of dogma,
all should attend to the magisterium of the Church, and all should speak the
same language. Hence, with all our heart we renew to you the heartfelt plea of
the great Apostle Paul:
"I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that all
of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united
in the same mind and the same judgement" [40].
Christian Compassion
29. To diminish in no way the saving teaching of Christ
constitutes an eminent form of charity for souls. But this must even be
accompanied by patience and goodness, such as the Lord himself gave example of
in dealing with men. Having come not to condemn but to save [41], he was indeed
intransigent with evil but merciful towards individuals.
In their difficulties, may married couples always find, in words and in the heart of a priest, the echo of the voice and the love of the Redeemer.
In their difficulties, may married couples always find, in words and in the heart of a priest, the echo of the voice and the love of the Redeemer.
And then speak with confidence, beloved sons, fully
convinced that the Spirit
of God, while He assists the magisterium in proposing doctrine, illumines
internally the hearts of the faithful inviting them to give their assent. Teach
married couples the indispensable way of prayer; prepare them to the recourse
often and with faith to the sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance, without ever
allowing themselves to be discouraged by their own weakness.
To Bishops
30. Beloved and venerable brothers in the episcopate, with
whom we most intimately share the solicitude of the spiritual good of the
People of God, at the conclusion of this encyclical our reverent and
affectionate thoughts turn to you. To all of you we extend an urgent
invitation. At the head of the priests, your collaborators, and of your
faithful, work ardently and incessantly for the safeguarding and the holiness of
marriage, so that it may always be lived in its entire human and Christian
fullness. Consider this mission as one of your most urgent responsibilities at
the present time. As you know, it implies concerted pastoral action in all the
fields of human activity, economic cultural and social; for, in fact, only a
simultaneous improvement in these various sectors will make it possible to
render the life of parents and of children within their families not only
tolerable, but easier and more joyous, to render living together in human
society more fraternal and peaceful, in faithfulness to God's design for the
world.
FINAL APPEAL
31. Venerable brothers, most beloved sons, and all men of
good will, great indeed is the work of education, of progress and of love to which
we call you, upon the foundation of the Church's teaching, of which the
successor of Peter is, together with his brothers in the episcopate, the
depositary and interpreter. Truly a great work, as we are deeply convinced,
both for the world and for the Church, since man cannot find true happiness --
towards which he aspires with all his being -- other than in respect of the
laws written by God in his very nature, laws which he must observe with
intelligence and love. Upon this work, and upon all of you, and especially upon
married couples,we invoke the abundant graces of the God of holiness and mercy,
and in pledge thereof we impart to you all our apostolic blessing.
Given at Rome, from
St. Peter's, this 25th day of July, feast of St. James the Apostle, in the year
1968, the sixth of our pontificate.
PAULUS PP. VI
REFERENCES:
(1) See Pius IX, encyc. letter Oui pluribus: Pii IX P.M.
Acta, 1, pp. 9-10; St. Pius X encyc. letter Singulari quadam: AAS 4
(1912), 658; Pius XI, encyc.letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930),
579-581; Pius XII, address Magnificate Dominum to the episcopate of the
Catholic World: AAS 46 (1954), 671-672; John XXIII, encyc. letter Mater
et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 457.
(2) See Mt 28. 18-19.
(3) See Mt 7. 21.
(4) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8;
Leo XIII, encyc.letter Arcanum: Acta Leonis XIII, 2 (1880),
26-29; Pius XI, encyc.letter Divini illius Magistri: AAS 22
(1930), 58-61; encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 545-546;
Pius XII, Address to Italian Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e
radiomessaggi di Pio XII, VI, 191-192; to Italian Association of Catholic
Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 835-854; to the association known as the Family
Campaign, and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; to 7th
congress of International Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS
VI, 394-395]; John XXIII, encyc.letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961),
446-447 [TPS VII, 330-331]; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on
the Church in the World of Today, nos. 47-52: AAS 58 (1966), 1067-1074 [TPS
XI, 289-295]; Code of Canon Law, canons 1067, 1068 §1, canon 1076, §§1-2.
(5) See Paul VI, Address to Sacred College of Cardinals: AAS
56 (1964), 588 [TPS IX, 355-356]; to Commission for the Study of Problems of
Population, Family and Birth: AAS 57 (1965), 388 [TPS X, 225]; to National
Congress of the Italian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology: AAS 58 (1966),
1168 [TPS XI, 401-403].
(6) See 1 Jn 4. 8.
(7) Eph 3. 15.
(8) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the World of Today, no. 50: AAS 58 (1966), 1070-1072 [TPS XI,
292-293].
(9) See St. Thomas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 94,
art. 2.
(10) See Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on
the Church in the World of Today, nos . 50- 5 1: AAS 58 ( 1 966)
1070-1073 [TPS XI, 292-293].
(11) See ibid., no. 49: AAS 58 (1966), 1070 [TPS XI,
291-292].
(12) See Pius XI. encyc. letter Casti connubi: AAS 22
(1930), 560; Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843.
(13) See encyc. letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53
(1961), 447 [TPS VII, 331].
(14) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8;
Pius XI, encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 562-564; Pius XII,
Address to Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi,
VI, 191-192; Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 842-843; Address to Family
Campaign and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; John XXIII,
encyc. letter Pacem in terris: AAS 55 (1963), 259-260 [TPS IX, 15-16];
Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of
Today, no. 51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293].
(15) See Pius XI, encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS
22 (1930), 565; Decree of the Holy Office, Feb. 22, 1940: AAS 32 (1940), 73;
Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43
(1951), 843-844; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50
(1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395].
(16) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8;
Pius XI, encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 559-561; Pius XII,
Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50
(1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]; John XXIII, encyc.letter Mater et
Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS VII, 331].
(17) See Pius XII, Address to National Congress of Italian
Society of the Union of Catholic Jurists: AAS 45 (1953), 798-799 [TPS I,
67-69].
(18) See Rom 3. 8.
(19) See Pius XII, Address to 26th Congress of Italian
Association of Urology: AAS 45 (1953), 674-675; to Society of Hematology: AAS
50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395].
(20) See Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 846.
(21) See Pius XII, Address to Association of Urology: AAS 45
(1953), 674-675; to leaders and members of Italian Association of Cornea Donors
and Italian Association for the Blind: AAS 48 (1956), 461-462 [TPS III,
200-201].
(22) Lk 2. 34.
(23) See Paul Vl, encyc. letter Populorum progressio:
AAS 59 (1967), 268 [TPS XII, 151].
(24) See Rom 8.
(25) See Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Media of
Social Communication, nos. 6-7: AAS 56 (1964), 147 [TPS IX, 340-341].
(26) Encyc. letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961),
447 [TPS VII, 331].
(27) See encyc. letter Populorum progressio, nos.
48-55: AAS 59 (1967), 281-284 [TPS XII, 160-162].
(28) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the World of Today, no. 52: AAS 58 (1966), 1074 [TPS XI, 294].
(29) Address to Family Campaign and other family
associations: AAS 43 (1951), 859.
(30) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the World of Today, no. 51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293].
(31) See Mt 11. 30.
(32) See Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on
the Church in the World of Today, no. 48: AAS 58 (1966), 1067-1069
[TPS XI,290-291]; Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 35: AAS 57
(1965), 40-41 [TPS X, 382-383].
(33) Mt 7. 14; see Heb 12. 11.
(34) See Ti 2. 12.
(35) See 1 Cor 7. 31.
(36) Rom 5. 5.
(37) Eph 5. 25, 28-29, 32-33.
(38) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on
the Church, nos. 35, 41: AAS 57 (1965), 40-45 [TPS X, 382-383, 386-387; Pastoral
Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, nos. 48-49: AAS 58
(1966),1067-1070 [TPS XI, 290-292]; Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity,
no. 11: AAS 58 (1966), 847-849 [TPS XI, 128-129].
(39) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on
the Church, no. 25: AAS 57 (1965), 29-31 [TPS X, 375-376].
(40) 1 Cor 1. 10.
(41) See Jn 3. 17.
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