In this issue . . . . . . . .we celebrate the 35th anniversary year of the encyclical Humanae vitae. This document is a virtual landmark of theological truth and pastoral insight.

• The Continuing Importance of Humanae vitae
  Most Rev. James T. McHugh
  
  
• An Important Part of Responsible Parenthood
  Victoria Hanaka, M.A.
  
  
• A New Language
  Mary Shivanandan, S.T.D.
  
  BISHOPS' TEACH
  
• Excerpts from the pastoral "Life-Giving Love of Husband and Wife In Light of the Teaching of The Church on Marriage and the Family"
  Most Rev. John T. Steinbock, Diocese of Fresno
  
  
• Natural Family Planning - The Best Choice for Couples
  Alejandro and Lilia Morelos
  
  COORDINATORS' CORNER
  
• Marriage Preparation and NFP in the Diocese of San Diego
  Chris Mattson
  
  NEWS BRIEFS

The Continuing Importance of Humanae vitae
Most Rev. James T. McHugh

Some things are just classic, like the following article written by the late Bishop James T. McHugh, founding director of the bishops' NFP program. In this thirty-fifth anniversary year of Humanae vitae it is important to ask ourselves just what is important about this landmark encyclical. Bishop McHugh's answer is worth reprinting.

In order to understand Humanae vitae itself, it is useful to recall its immediate history. In the aftermath of World War II, the late 1940's and the 1950s, family size was relatively large. The stereotype was the family of six to ten children, one year apart, but the average size was closer to three or four. In the 1960s there was new emphasis given to spacing births and to decreasing overall family size. Furthermore, as Paul VI acknowledged in his introductory paragraphs of Humanae vitae, there was a new concern about world population growth and, in the 1960s, the discovery of the birth control pill. Paul VI also noted the emerging recognition of women as persons of equal dignity and value and the importance of conjugal love, that is, the mutual interpersonal love of the spouses and the special meaning of their sexual relationship.

These issues received considerable attention within the Church, as theologians and other scholars began to question the relevance of the Church's teaching on birth control. The Second Vatican Council had not directly addressed the topic, and Paul VI appointed a special commission to study the matter. While this international commission was conducting its study over a period of years, pressure was mounting for some new pronouncement from the Church. Paul VI recognized this in some of his addresses during the 1960s and there is little doubt that the time was ripe for the Pope to speak.

The issuance of Humanae vitae in 1968 was a world-shaking event. Why? Because the encyclical did not say what the world wanted to hear and what much of the anticipated buildup had prepared people for. As a result, the encyclical ran into a firestorm of rejection, criticism and dissent, and its carefully reasoned message was virtually lost in the confusion of the moment. Humanae vitae has been treated as something of an anomaly and has been blamed for many other problems that have confronted the Church.

It is important to realize that Humanae vitae is a relatively short summary statement and reaffirmation of the Church's traditional teaching on marriage, family life, human sexuality and responsible parenthood. It was situated in the context of the Second Vatican Council and drew upon the Council's deliberations and teachings. It took a contemporary approach to the family, to progress and development in modern societies and, despite all the scientific investigations and studies, to the fact that there were still many unanswered questions in the fields of demography, biology and biochemistry. Facing an absence of conclusive data in many of these fields, the Church was in no position to render final and detailed moral conclusions. Perhaps one example may illustrate what I mean. Paul VI recognized the growth of world population during the 1950s as one of the issues that prompted consideration of the Church's prohibition of artificial methods of birth control. We refer to this growth as the "Baby Boom" because of the prominence of large families. Yet, it was only in the 70's that the demographers had sufficiently developed and validated the theory of demographic transition. This theory stated that population growth results from a decline in mortality rates and concurrent high birth rates, which then tend to decline and the growth tapers off. At the same time, the demographers were able to see that the Baby Boom had resulted from a larger overall proportion of families with three to four children, not from the families with six to ten. So too with the Pill. It was originally looked on as a sterilizing agent; later data showed its abortifacient aspects, as well as the serious dangers to a woman's health inherent in its use.

One might think that by the 1970's, the hostile reaction to Humanae vitae would have subsided and we would have reexamined the teaching and perceived its truth and value. Such was not the case. The encyclical remained isolated and, to a larger extent, rejected. Paul VI reaffirmed the teaching on a number of occasions, perhaps most notably on his last major public appearance before his death (1978).

More recently there has been scholarly and thoughtful reexamination and John Paul II has constantly reaffirmed and explained in detail the teaching of Humanae vitae. It is highly important to study John Paul II's teaching on marriage and family life to gain fresh insight into Humanae vitae.

Let us turn now to the document itself. The teaching of the encyclical is based on four basic points of Catholic doctrine: a total vision of the human person; the sacrament of marriage; conjugal love and responsible parenthood; and the Church's moral teaching on sexuality.

A total vision of the human person

Paul VI clearly stated that the birth of each human person must be looked at in the light of a total or integral vision of the human person and of his or her vocation, not only the natural and earthly, but also the spiritual and eternal vocation. Each human person is created by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ and called to eternal union and glory with the Holy Trinity. That is our fundamental vocation, and all of our activity must be consistent with that vocation and directed toward its achievement. This vocation, or call from God, is also the source of our human dignity. Each of us is an individual person gifted with intellect and free will. We can make free and conscious decisions about our actions, and we must weigh each decision in terms of its consistency with God's plan and God's law. Our union with God begins here on earth in the life of grace and reaches its fulfillment after death when the life of grace becomes eternal glory.

The sacrament of marriage

Within the overall vocation to union with God, we fulfill other vocations during our earthly lives. God calls us not only to eternal union with Him, but He calls us to share His life here on earth. God is love and we are called to love one another as God loves us. For most people, the call to love is lived out and perfected in marriage and family life. As Pope Paul VI told us, "Marriage is the wise institution of the Creator to realize in mankind His design of love." But marriage exists in the order of grace: it is a Christian sacrament. As the Vatican Council reminded us, each sacrament, like the Church itself, is a sign and instrument of union with God and with one another. The sacramental grace of marriage empowers the couple to carry God's grace to their children, their families and friends and to the entire world.

Conjugal love and responsible parenthood

Following closely the lines of Vatican II's Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI spoke of conjugal love, that special and unique love of husband and wife "that binds them together for life in a relationship so close and so intimate that it profoundly influences their whole lives" (from the Marriage Ritual). The intimacy of marriage and marital love cannot be adequately measured by anyone but the couple. Pope Paul VI went on to explain the Council's description of conjugal love: it has its origin in "God, who is love." As John Paul II further explained, "God is love. Creating the human race in His own image and continually keeping it in being, God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation of love and communion. Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being." (Familiaris consortio)

Paul VI went on to speak of conjugal love as "fully human," that is to say, a very special form of personal friendship, "faithful and exclusive," and "fecund," directed toward the begetting and educating of children. Again, John Paul II, in describing the plan of God for marriage and the family in Familiaris consortio, expanded on these concepts and emphasized that conjugal love includes and gives meaning to sexuality. Sexuality itself is not something purely biological, but concerns the innermost being of the human person as such.

This is all very difficult to understand in a world that sees sexuality primarily as a means of self-gratification and legitimates every type of sexual behavior. Adultery, out-of-wedlock intercourse, homosexual activity, pornography all separate sexual activity from love and marriage. The Church calls us to take a different and more ennobling view of conjugal love and of the sexual expression of that love reserved to married couples.

Conjugal love demands and fosters a deep, personal intimacy. Intimacy requires communication, self-disclosure and a willingness to forego some personal privacy. At the same time it satisfies the human need for companionship and community and gives each partner a heightened sense of self-worth and security.

Conjugal love is an all-encompassing, interpersonal dynamic that constantly grows and becomes stronger and more binding. It requires of each spouse openness and generosity and a willingness to risk something of self in the interest of the conjugal relationship. At the same time, it creates a special unity and fidelity between the spouses that is able to withstand the tendency to selfishness or the attraction of power, material goods or personal advancement that might otherwise erode their relationship. In effect, as the dynamic element in their relationship, conjugal love gives an unbreakable quality to their union and their partnership.

The expressions of conjugal love are myriad and to some degree particular to each couple. But virtually all married couples will acknowledge that consideration of the other person, communication, mutual patience, understanding and encouragement are indications of and powerful sustainers of conjugal love. So too is sexual love, in which the couple engage in a deep and specially reserved interpersonal sharing and through which they become co-creators with God by bringing children into the world and building their own family.

The companion principle that Pope Paul VI drew from Vatican II and affirmed in Humanae vitae is responsible parenthood. Unfortunately, this term has often been misinterpreted and seen primarily as a justification for avoiding or rejecting childbearing. At a World Summit on the Environment in Rio de Janeiro, a family planning expert said that responsible parenthood and access to all methods of family planning mean the same thing–the avoidance of births. However, as described by Paul VI, by the Second Vatican Council and by John Paul II, the concept of responsible parenthood involves the following elements: a free, informed, mutual decision by the couple regarding the frequency of births and size of the family, based on their conscientious assessment of their responsibilities to God, themselves, their children and family and the society of which they are a part, and enlightened by the authentic teaching of the Church's Magisterium regarding the objective moral order and the licit methods of spacing or limiting pregnancies.

Decisions regarding child-bearing and child-rearing are certainly in the forefront of the fundamental choices that couples make in marriage. But it is a mistake to think that such decisions are fraught with tension, lacking in mutual agreement, or threatening to conjugal love and family well-being. More realistically and more commonly, such decisions reflect the couple's values and attitudes and are reached in relative calm. When couples are secure in their love, when they value parenting and enjoy their children, when they are convinced that material advantages are but one aspect of family life, and when they see childbearing as a special sharing in God's plan of creation and redemption, there is an openness to life and a genuine willingness to share their life and love with others, particularly their own offspring.

An important aspect of Humanae vitae is the positive emphasis on children. Paul VI noted that marriage is important because it takes the couple beyond themselves it reaches out to the bearing and educating of children. Referring again to Vatican II, Pope Paul emphasized that "children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents." The Council teaching to which he referred is one that treats child-bearing as a privilege and gift and as a participation in the creative plan of God. It intended to counter the mind set that sees children as a burden or interference in the private lives of their parents. Thus, it gives special mention to those couples "who with a gallant heart and with wise and common deliberation, undertake to bring up suitably even a relatively large family" (Gaudium et spes).

Responsible parenthood then, involves mutual decision making by the couple and a shared commitment to family values and goals. It goes far beyond access to contraceptive technology and is far more important in enabling couples to understand their duties and make the appropriate sacrifices to realize their commitment. As described above, responsible parenthood respects the couple as persons who can make decisions that benefit themselves and society without losing their sense of dignity and worth or their appreciation of sexual love.

The Church's moral teaching on sexuality

Having reviewed the Church's teaching, particularly as set forth by the Second Vatican Council, Paul VI then applied the principles to the act of marital intercourse and to the means of family planning. Paul VI affirmed as the authentic and oft-repeated teaching of the Magisterium that the act of sexual intercourse has two meanings, the unitive and the procreative. There is an "inseparable connection, willed by God and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings." Consequently, "each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life." This is the central teaching of Humanae vitae and it is the precise point of confrontation for the encyclical. But the important advance made by Paul VI was that he did not limit his teaching simply to the inherent biological capabilities of the marriage act. Instead, he spoke of the meanings of the act, that is, building marital unity and transmitting life. There is an inseparable connection, willed by God, between these two meanings, a connection that human persons can perceive and understand but which they are not free to reject or contravene. It is contrary to God's law to have intercourse solely to procreate, as is the case, for instance, in those societies where frequent reproduction is seen as a proof of virility. It is also wrong to totally reject childbearing and to have intercourse solely as a means for achieving sexual pleasure, as is often the case in societies where sexual pleasure is seen as the dominant reason for intercourse. The unitive and procreative elements are meant by God to be balanced.

Paul VI recognized that not every act of intercourse would be a reproductive act and that couples could and in some cases should, limit their marital embrace to those times when the woman is not fertile. In effect, Paul VI gave strong endorsement to Natural Family Planning, not as an escape hatch, but as part of the responsible dynamic of marriage and family life.

Pope Paul recognized that his teachings would appear difficult to many people and incapable of ready acceptance by some. But he reminded us that it was possible if we called on God for His assistance and made every effort to see the spacing and limiting of births in the overall context of married life and love. Indeed, Paul VI noted that "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." Achieving solid conviction and self-restraint is extremely difficult in a society that is premised on individualism, sexual permissiveness, lack of personal responsibility for one's actions, material comfort and hedonism. Such is the prevailing atmosphere of the Western world. That is why Paul VI urged efforts to create an atmosphere favorable to chaste living.

At the same time, Pope Paul was very much the pastor who understood the difficulties facing married couples and their failures in achieving moral ideals. He urged prayer, reception of the sacraments and encouraged couples, even when failing, not to lose heart, but to call on the mercy of God in the sacrament of Penance. Correspondingly, Paul VI urged priests to present the Church's teaching clearly and convincingly, to support and encourage couples and to ensure that those facing difficulties find, "in the words and in the heart of a priest, the echo of the voice and the love of the Redeemer."

In his final major public appearance before his death, at a Mass on June 29, 1978 (the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul), commemorating the 15th anniversary of his election as pope, Paul VI reviewed what he considered the high points of his pontificate. The two dominant themes of the homily were the fulfillment of the Petrine office of proclaiming and preserving the faith and his efforts in defense of human life. In this regard, Pope Paul spoke of his encyclical on the development of peoples as promoting the sustenance of life for developing nations. He pointed to other addresses and encyclicals that opposed abortion and divorce. He said that he was encouraged by the response of young people, whom he saw as the victims of the materialism and permissiveness of modern society. But his central concern and source of peace was Humanae vitae. His own words best sum up his final recollections on the importance of the encyclical:

This document was inspired by the immutable teaching of the Bible and the Gospel, which confirms the norms of the natural law and the irrepressible dictates of conscience regarding respect for life and its transmission by fathers and mothers who practice a responsible parenthood. The document has acquired new and urgent relevance in view of the wounds now being inflicted by civil laws on the holiness of the indissoluble marriage bond and the sacredness of human life even in the maternal womb. We have opened Our heart to you in a panoramic view, rapid though it has been, of the important aspects of Our pontifical magisterium in regard to human life, so that the hearts of us all may cry from their depths to the Redeemer. In face of the dangers We have outlined, as in the face of saddening defections in the Church and society, We, like Peter, feel compelled to go to Him as the only source of salvation and cry out to Him: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." He alone is the truth, He alone is our strength, He alone is our salvation.

"As someone who has just recently returned to the Church after an absence of 37 years, this has been a wonderful eye-opener. I thought I knew (and consequently had rejected) all the Church had to say about us as sexual beings. I was wrong. What I have discovered through our readings and discussions is the Holy Father's recognition of the sanctity of human relationships, and how marriage and family love are our way of participating in the boundless love that God has for us all. Learning [this] has made returning to my childhood faith a wonderful homecoming."

Natural family planning educators know so well the great obstacles to and incredible joys of communicating the Church's teaching on love and marriage. How many would call it a lifelong accomplishment to elicit a five-star rave review like the one above? More importantly, you might ask, how can we offer the same kind of program that so radically opens minds and hearts to God's plan for human sexuality?

The answer is occurring with increasing frequency in parishes, adult education programs, and NFP groups across the country. Its name is A New Language. Its format is a group study series on Pope John Paul II's "theology of the body." What it is and how it came to be is a story of a unique labor of love involving seemingly disparate women from several states and varied backgrounds.

The genesis of the study series began with an apparent failure. Members of the Southern Maine chapter of Women Affirming Life invited Professor Mary Shivanandan of the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C. to present a program on parent/child sexuality education at a local college campus. Except for the organizers and a couple of friends, no one attended. Rather than cancel the program, the organizers asked Prof. Shivanandan to tell them what they had hoped others would hear. She spoke about the Holy Father's "theology of the body" and the radically new and beautiful language it offers our culture to explain and affirm God's gift of sexuality and the true meaning of marital chastity. One of the participants was so enthralled by the talk, she arranged for the diocesan newspaper to print it. She then sent it to the Women Affirming Life office in Boston and soon a series of conversations were begun on how to bring the Holy Father's much needed message to our Church and culture.

The consensus grew about the need for a study series that would engage ordinary Catholics in study, prayer, and discussion. Working with students from the John Paul II Institute, Professor Shivanandan developed the first draft and piloted it with a group of women in the Washington, D.C. area. The results were extraordinary. Two of first 12 participants decided to stop using contraceptives soon after completing the study series!

Nearly three years later, A New Language is a four-season group study series, each consisting of six weekly two-hour sessions. Using Shivanandan's book Crossing the Threshold of Love as the core text, participants explore the Holy Father's teachings on the theology of the body, prayerfully reflect on the experience of self-giving love in their own lives, and consider relevant Scripture passages. All sessions include cross-references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and excerpts from the Pope's own text of the theology of the body. Study groups are facilitated by a trained member of Women Affirming Life.

A New Language study groups have spread across the country including Maine (in a weekend retreat format), Boston, Washington, Tulsa, Wyoming, Seattle and New York. A national retreat for facilitators is planned for this June in Washington, D.C. Reactions to the study groups have been routinely positive and life changing. NFP teachers have been in the forefront of these efforts because they have seen how the study groups offer participants the power of conversion based on knowledge, experience, prayer and openness to God's will.

Most Catholics have never heard of the "theology of the body." It is seldom preached from the pulpit or discussed at adult education classes. The depth of its philosophical, theological and Scriptural insights can appear intimidating. But those who have come to know and appreciate its teaching are overwhelmed by its beauty, its common sense, and the potential it holds for changing public discourse in both our Church and society about the meaning of human sexuality. Simply stated, those who know it love it. They want to live it and to communicate it with others.

A New Language offers a clear, theologically sound, and intellectually challenging tool for ordinary Catholics to help begin a mini-revolution in thinking and living in Catholic hearts, homes and marriages based on John Paul II's incredibly rich teaching in his "theology of the body." As veteran Maine NFP teacher Meg Yates, RN said after completing the series, "Personally this study guide has confirmed the immutable foundations of marriage and the real design for sexual love. Renewing my understanding of Church teaching and my own concept of marriage has been worth the effort of wading through philosophy and theology to get there. I think this will eventually reshape marriage preparation."

Other participants are equally enthusiastic about the study series. "It's really an extraordinary vision -- very powerful, joyful, positive, dynamic," commented one Washington D.C. area participant. Another said, "It will be the intellectual underpinning for building the culture of life." Angela Maupin, Associate Director of the Family Life Office in the Diocese of Tulsa and a facilitator of several study groups, writes: "As a facilitator, there is nothing that compares to seeing hearts set aflame by the truth proclaimed in the theology of the body, especially when both husband and wife are equally committed to the study."

These enthusiastic responses point to the spiritual and intellectual hunger by Catholics to better understand Church teaching on marriage and sexuality. They also underscore the need for evangelization. At this time of such great heartache in the Church caused by past violations of God's plan for sexuality, now more than ever, the truth and beauty of Church teaching needs to be proclaimed and lived. John Paul II's theology of the body offers the fullness of that much-needed vision. A New Language study series offers a practical and proven tool for communicating it to ordinary Catholics.

_______________________
Additional information about the study series and John Paul IIs theology of the body are available on the Women Affirming Life website at ww.AffirmLife.com. Women Affirming Life hopes soon to have a national coordinator for the study group efforts. In the interim, for information about starting or joining a study group, contact WAL Advisory Board Member Marianne Rea Luthin at the Archdiocese of Boston Pro-Life Office (159 Washington St,; Brighton, MA 02135 B 617-783-5410 or by e-mail at prolifebos@aol.com)


Bishops' Teach

Excerpts from the pastoral "Life-giving Love of Husband and Wife in Light of the Teaching of the Church on Marriage and the Family"
Most Rev. John T. Steinbock

The love of husband and wife, in the Sacrament of Marriage, speaks to us of God's great love. True marriage requires the reciprocal gift of exclusive, unending and fruitful love. In the Sacrament of Marriage God pledges the graces necessary for a couple to persevere in this total self-giving love. But a couple must have the humility to realize their need for the Lord, the faith to put the Lord first in their lives, and the will to follow the example of the total self-giving love of Jesus in their relationship with each other.

We live in a society with a totally different vision for marriage and in a culture in which it is increasingly more difficult for couples to persevere in their marriage commitment. The Christian teaching on conjugal love is even difficult for many of our own Catholic people to accept, being influenced so strongly by the individualism, utilitarianism, and self-centeredness of our culture. We need to proclaim it loud and clear.

I write this pastoral mainly for our priests and deacons, as well as those involved in teaching roles in the Diocese, to encourage them to bring the clear teaching of the Church regarding conjugal love to our young people and couples, and to better articulate that teaching. For this purpose I present various themes explaining this teaching. Couples seeking to be guided by the teaching of Christ and the Church in their marriage bond will also find this pastoral helpful.

I ask that we pray very much for those in our parish communities who have been divorced. Our hearts go out to them and we support them with the love of Christ, encouraging them to stay close to the sacraments if they are able. I encourage anyone who is divorced, and remarried, to speak privately to a priest to seek his guidance.

Divorce Rate in the United States

It is a sad commentary that there are over a million divorces each year in the United States, and though Catholics have a lower rate of divorce than Protestants, hundreds of thousands of these divorces each year are amongst Catholics (1). One fourth of the children in the U.S. live with only one parent (2). Divorce has touched almost every family in our parishes in one way or another. It brings great suffering not only to the immediate family but to the Christian family and society as well.

The modern world has separated love from bringing forth life, and this influences our young people very much. To help young couples persevere in their marriage bond, it is essential for them to understand conjugal love in the light of the Church's teaching on the Sacrament of Marriage and the Christian family, towards which marriage is directed.

The divorce rate of those using Natural Family Planning is miniscule compared to the high divorce rate. Informal studies have placed the divorce rate from 1.3% to less than 5% (3). This is certainly a strong motivation to take a good look at the teaching of the Church regarding conjugal love. What is it that keeps these couples together?

Whenever Church teaching speaks of not using artificial means to prevent conception, it is always presented in light of the truth and beauty of conjugal love, in light of the theology of the body in its masculinity and femininity, the Sacrament of Marriage, and the sharing in the creative power of God in bringing forth new life to form the family. Natural Family Planning is a means for married couples to live this spirituality. Responsible parenthood is not simply limiting children. In fact, NFP has nothing to do with contraception. The practice of NFP is an expression of conjugal love that preserves the dignity of the human person and that cooperates with God in His creative power.

Our Holy Father states: "We call that fatherhood and that motherhood responsible which correspond to the personal dignity of the couple as parents, to the truth of their person and of the conjugal act. Hence arises the close and direct relationship that links this dimension with the whole spirituality of marriage" (4). He also identifies the word "natural," not as a biological term, but as a term that signifies "morally correct" (5).

Modern Natural Family Planning

Prior to and at the time Humanae vitae was promulgated in 1968, the only method for spacing children in accord with the teaching of the Church was the rhythm method. Because of its unreliability, it was very difficult for couples to be faithful to the teaching of the Church.
A lot has changed over the last thirty years in the medical and scientific world, including the perfection of Natural Family Planning (NFP). With NFP a couple can accurately identify the times of fertility and infertility in the cycle, and use this information to achieve or avoid a pregnancy. ...

Christian marriage demands chastity, continence and self-sacrifice. Couples must be led to appreciate these virtues, which are essential for a good marriage to last, especially in a culture that would lead them to instant gratification. Our Holy Father, speaking of these virtues in relation to conjugal love says

The role of conjugal chastity, and still more precisely that of continence, lies not only in protecting the importance and the dignity of the conjugal act in relation to its procreative meaning, but also in safeguarding the importance and the dignity proper to the conjugal act as expressive of interpersonal union, revealing to the awareness and the experience of the couple all the other possible "manifestations of affection" that can express this profound communion of theirs (8).

God created man in his own image and likeness: calling him to existence through love, he called him at the same time for love. God is love and in himself he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating the human race in his own image and continually keeping it in being, God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and communion. Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being (FC 11).

Conjugal love reveals its true nature and nobility when it is considered in its supreme origin, God, Who is love, the Father, from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. Marriage is not, then the effect of chance or the product of evolution or 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 communion of their beings in view of mutual personal perfection, to collaborate with God in the generation and education of new lives (HV 8).

If therefore there are reasonable grounds for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external circumstances, the Church teaches that then married people may take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and use their marriage at precisely those times that are infertile, and in this way control birth, a way which does not in the least offend moral principles (HV 16).

At the origin of every human person there is a creative act of God . . . . From this fundamental truth of faith and reason it follows that the procreative capacity, inscribed in human sexuality, is – in its deepest truth – a cooperation with God's creative power. And it also follows that man and woman are not the arbiters, are not the masters of this same capacity, called as they are, in it and through it, to be participants in God's creative decision. When, therefore, through contraception, married couples remove from the exercise of their conjugal sexuality its potential procreative capacity, they claim a power which belongs solely to God: the power to decide in the final analysis the coming into existence of a human person (9).

The parents themselves and no one else should ultimately make this judgment in the sight of God. But in their manner of acting, spouses should be aware that they cannot proceed arbitrarily, but must always be governed according to a conscience dutifully conformed to the divine law itself, and should be submissive toward the Church's teaching office, which authentically interprets that law in the light of the Gospel. That divine law reveals and protects the integral meaning of conjugal love... (GS 50).

Humanae vitae does not discuss the question of good faith of those who make practical decisions in conscience against what the Church considers a divine law and the Will of God. The encyclical does not undertake to judge the consciences of individuals but to set forth the authentic teaching of the Church which Catholics believe interprets the divine law to which conscience should be conformed.

We feel bound to remind Catholic married couples, when they are subjected to the pressures which prompt the Holy Father's concern, that however circumstances may reduce moral guilt, no one following the teaching of the Church can deny the objective evil of artificial contraception itself.

1. Carlfred B. Broderick, "Divorce," World Book Online Americas Edition, http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/161640//, December 8, 2001.
   
   
2. Ibid.
   
   
3. "Jottings," John Kippley, Couple to Couple League Family Foundations, January-February. 1991." Solving the Puzzle of Natural Family Planning," Charolotte Hays, Crisis, December 2001, 1814 22 N Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.
   
   
4. "Continence Frees One from Inner Tension," Pope John Paul II, General Audience, October 31, 1984, Reflections on Humanae vitae, Pope John Paul II, p.70, St. Paul Editions, 50 St. Paul's Avenue, Boston, Mass. 02130.
   
   
5. "Responsible Parenthood Linked to Moral Maturity," Pope John Paul II, General Audience, September 5, 1984, Reflections on Humanae vitae, Pope John Paul II, p. 45, St. Paul Editions, Boston.
   
   [Notes 6 & 7 appeared in deleted section]
   
   
8. "Continence Protects the Dignity of the Conjugal Act," Pope John Paul II, General Audience, October 24, 1984, Reflections on Humanae vitae, Pope John Paul II, pp.66-67, St. Paul Editions, Boston.
   
   
9. "Christian Vocation of Spouses May Demand Even Heroism," Study Seminar on Responsible Parenthood, to Priest Participants, Pope John Paul II, Rome, 1986.
   
   
10. "The Price of Virtue," P.F. Lawler, Catholic World Report, July 1997, p. 55.

Natural Family Planning – The Best Choice for Couples
Alejandro and Lilia Morelos

We were introduced to the Billings method of natural family planning (NFP) when we began our marriage preparation classes just like the many other engaged couples at our parish. We purchased the instruction book authored by Drs. Billings as well as Dionisio Santa Maria's books and we began to study. At this time, there were no organized NFP classes like there are today. Fortunately, my wife Lilia picked up on the material quickly.

We have been using the Billings method exclusively throughout our twenty- two year marriage. In 1985, after realizing how much of a blessing NFP had been to our marriage, we decided that one way we could thank God for such a wonderful gift was to share our knowledge about the Billings method with other couples.

Engaged Couples, Married Couples, NFP for Everyone

Our Billings Center now reaches out to about 100 couples annually by means of teaching NFP classes. We estimate that nearly 40% of those who attend our classes are engaged couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony. Typically, they are young, practicing Catholics, who under the guidance of a priest, have been recommended to learn NFP. We have noticed that these couples tend to learn NFP quickly and with greater ease than most couples. The other 60% of our clients are already married. This group can be further divided into two smaller subgroups: half of them see NFP as a "last resort" because the wife is suffering from the harmful side effects of artificial birth control and the other half have been pressured by their own doctors to undergo sterilization as a way to prevent further pregnancies. We have come across couples who want to begin living in accord with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Finally, we have also met couples in our classes who are learning for the first time about the Church's teaching on the immorality of birth control!

While we have noticed that approximately 80% of couples who attend our courses want to postpone pregnancy, the couples who are most attentive are those who are hoping to achieve pregnancy after two, three, five or more years of infertility.

The Transcending Apostolate

In the courses we teach, we focus on topics that pertain directly to NFP, but, as an "aside," we also are able to effectively channel various couples' needs towards the ministries within the Church that are best suited to help them. Our goal is to build a relationship based on trust with the couples that take our courses because they then can become more open in sharing their needs with us. In return, we do a better job in locating the right ministry group to fulfill their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Throughout the years, we have been able to put couples in touch with groups that are devoted to helping them and their families. From the educational needs of their children to parenting issues and marriage counseling, we have been able to make the appropriate referrals. Additionally, we have maintained strong contacts with the Christian Family Movement, Marriage Encounter and Retrouvaille as well as with the archdiocesan offices of Los Angeles and Orange counties.

We have also been blessed by many of our local priests who have shown their support of our program. They refer many couples our way. Likewise, we are able to put couples in touch with those priests for confession and/or spiritual guidance. Our pastor Rev. Peter Irving and his associate Rev. Roberto Pirrone as well as Rev. Lawrence Darnell and Rev. Edward Broom from St. Peter Chanel have advocated our work. We are also very grateful for the encouragement we receive from Rev. Jerome Karcher and Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Orange.

We strive to make sure that our work is in accord with the ideals of Monsignor Charles Fortier, who founded the Billings Center in Los Angeles. He believed that all teaching couples should not only demonstrate a sound ability to teach the Billings method accurately, but that they too should actively promote the well-being of the couples who attend the courses.

An Apostolate for Couples – Guaranteed!

During our tenure as instructors, we have emphasized that NFP is an apostolate for motivated couples. From what we have witnessed, these couples are married in the Catholic Church and have a strong sense of family life. Typically, their children do well academically -- many attend Catholic schools. These couples also demonstrate a relatively high level of education (academically and religiously speaking) and often have a close relationship with one or more of their local priests. They attend Sunday Mass as well as frequent the sacraments.
Although most of the couples are fully bilingual (English and Spanish), they continue to maintain strong ties with the cultural and religious customs as well as with their family members who still live in their mother countries. A large percentage of our course attendees come from middle class Catholic families from Jalisco, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, and Michoacán located in Mexico.

The Destructive Effect of the Culture of Death

Unfortunately, in the Hispanic community, as everywhere, we have seen how a large majority of couples have fallen prey to the culture of death by resorting to the use of contraception. While most of this blame can be traced directly to the medical profession, we have learned that many couples shared in such decision-making.

The Hispanic culture, which traditionally had deep ties to the Catholic Church, views marriage as a holy sacrament uniting both man and woman until "death do us part." Children are God's gift to married couples. They represent a physical symbol of the couples' love for one another. Their love surpasses all other material possessions as the couple sacrifices for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of their offspring. As parents, their role is to raise them in the Catholic Church, preparing their souls for entering into heaven. Today, we see more and more couples abandoning these fundamental aspects of their cultural identity.

The medical profession has also seen the effects of the culture of death. Both doctors and nurses seem to have lost touch with the long-standing values embodied by the Hippocratic Oath. They widely prescribe contraception for both sexually active singles and married couples. Often they pressure couples to use contraception because they, like most of mainstream society, view a woman's natural fertility cycles as nothing more than a disease that can be cured medicinally. This automatically distorts the view of bringing babies into the world – they are no longer a God-given gift but rather – using a term we all too often hear – a liability.

If couples ask their doctors about NFP, often they are laughed at and told that the Rhythm Method is not a reliable form of birth control. The prevalence of this contraceptive mentality is further reinforced on television and in our children's schools where they are taught that being sexually active outside of marriage is normal. After all, "everyone is doing it." But the media is quick to add that young people need to be responsible and have "safe sex" to reduce the chances of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

Tragically, the culture of death has even infiltrated into sectors of society that should be upholding high moral standards. In California, it has become commonplace to hear women say: "well, my priest gave me permission to have a tubal ligation" or "since my doctor told me not to have any more children, my priest told me it was OK to use the birth control pills prescribed by my doctor." We would certainly like to believe this is not true. Such priests would be neglecting their responsibility to help form the souls of their flock so that they are better prepared for heaven. If a priest gives Catholic couples permission to contracept, however, it shows the priest's lack of understanding regarding Church teachings and modern methods of NFP. We must therefore educate them. This is especially important because in the Hispanic community the priest is still revered.

NFP Teachers Help Couples Achieve their Goals

Our course consists of eight weekly classes with a ninth class following one month later. Each couple is taught how to postpone pregnancy as well as how to achieve pregnancy using the Billings Method. Throughout the course, couples repeatedly marvel at how their bodies work while they gain a better understanding of the Church's moral stance on contraception. They even learn why NFP is considered an integral part of a married couple's daily life.

In the seventh class, we talk about artificial contraceptives and their harmful side effects. Often couples come to the realization during this part of the course that they have been deceived by the medical profession – namely, that instead of looking out for the health of their patients, doctors and nurses have promoted artificial contraception, along with their many side effects, as the "only alternative" in preventing pregnancy.

Why the Medical Profession Should Support NFP

While our work is strictly voluntary, there are professionals, i.e. doctors and nurses, who should promote NFP among their patients.

Many Hispanic women, unfortunately, suffer from poor nutrition, which in turn can affect the signs of fertility. Ms. Lilia Stephenson, a nurse practitioner, has volunteered her time so generously by attending the classes we teach to share information about fertility from a medical point of view. A devout Catholic, she does not prescribe any artificial contraception in her practice.

We have also been fortunate to count on the help of Dr. Paddy Jim Baggot, who, like Ms. Stephenson, voluntarily attends our classes and offers medical advice to many of the couples that we teach. He is a Catholic obstetrician and gynecologist and does not prescribe artificial birth control for his patients. In addition to being appointed to the US Commission on Gynecology, Dr. Baggot is an infertility specialist and one of the few surgeons who can reverse both male and female sterilizations. Many couples who have attended our courses have directly benefitted from Dr. Baggot's generosity. For example, when Dr. Baggot goes over a woman's fertility chart, he can detect any irregularities within her cycle, which, in turn, aids him in treating a woman before the problem worsens. Dr. Baggot has found that the majority of cycle irregularities in our clients are related to nutritional deficiencies. By improving one's diet and taking vitamins, the woman's body will naturally correct itself and its cycle.

One Last Word . . .

We have witnessed that the most dedicated couples will live their lives according to the teachings of the Church, embracing fully the joys and challenges of Christian marriage. One couple, Herminia and Valentin, who were only able to attend our first class, learned the Billings Method by way of home study. After postponing pregnancy for four or five years, they decided that God was calling them to have their third child, and nine months later, they brought a beautiful baby into this world. In a world where the culture of death has become so mainstream, we feel ever more privileged to be able to help the couples that have attended our classes. We also like to thank the Good Lord and all His marvelous blessings.

_________________________
Alejandro and Lilia Morelos are the directors of the Centro Billings De Los Angeles.

Coordinators' Corner
Marriage Preparation and NFP in the Diocese of San Diego
Chris Mattson

Every five years diocesan bishops are required to make an Ad Limina visit to the Holy See. These visits are a time of spiritual renewal as well as an opportunity for a bishop to meet with the Pope and other Holy See officials. Months before a bishop's arrival in Rome, he is required to send a detailed written report (Relatio) to the Pope on the state of the diocese in his charge.

San Diego Bishop Robert Brom's most recent report included an alarming account of the increasing acceptance of contraception and in vitro fertilization in the diocese. It was therefore not surprising to him when he heard the Holy Father's address to the bishops of Region XI during their Ad Limina visit. The Holy Father's remarks are inspiring and worth quoting at length:

The Second Vatican Council was quite aware of the forces shaping contemporary society when it spoke out clearly in defense of human life against the many threats facing it. The Council also made a priceless contribution to the culture of life by its eloquent presentation of the full meaning of married love. Following the lead of the council and expounding its teaching, Pope Paul VI wrote the prophetic Encyclical Humanae vitae, in which he addressed the moral implications of the power to cooperate with the Creator in bringing new life into the world. The Creator has made man and woman to complement one another in love, and their union is no less than a sharing in the creative power of God himself. Conjugal love serves life not only insofar as it generates new life but also because, rightly understood as the total gift of spouses to one another, it shapes the loving and caring context in which new life is wholeheartedly welcomed as a gift of incomparable value.

Thirty years after Humanae vitae, we see that mistaken ideas about the individual's moral autonomy continue to inflict wounds on the consciences of many people and on the life of society. Paul VI pointed out some of the consequences of separating the unitive aspect of conjugal love from its procreative dimension: a gradual weakening of moral discipline; a trivialization of human sexuality; the demeaning of women; marital infidelity, often leading to broken families; state-sponsored programs of population control based on imposed contraception and sterilization. The introduction of legalized abortion and euthanasia, ever increasing recourse to in vitro fertilization, and certain forms of genetic manipulation and embryo experimentation are also closely related in law and public policy, as well as in contemporary culture, to the idea of unlimited dominion over one's body and life.

The teaching of Humanae vitae honors married love, promotes the dignity of women, and helps couples grow in understanding the truth of their particular path to holiness. It is also a response to contemporary culture's temptation to reduce life to a commodity. As Bishops, together with your priests, deacons, seminarians, and other pastoral personnel, you must find the right language and imagery to present this teaching in a comprehensible and compelling way. Marriage preparation programs should include an honest and complete presentation of the Church's teaching on responsible procreation, and should explain the natural methods of regulating fertility, the legitimacy of which is based on respect for the human meaning of sexual intimacy. Couples who have embraced the teaching of Pope Paul VI have discovered that it is truly a source of profound unity and joy, nourished by their increased mutual understanding and respect; they should be invited to share their experience with engaged couples taking part in marriage preparation programs.

A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer. Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons cannot be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29). Let us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life. May this same power turn their hearts to resolutions and goals inspired by the civilization of life and love.

Announcements

The national conference for diocesan NFP coordinators will be held in Phoenix, AZ on July 9-12, 2003.

This year's theme is "The Continuing Importance of Humanae vitae on its Thirty-fifth Anniversary."

The conference will blend time for continuing education, opportunities for program sharing and spiritual refreshment.

Confirmed speakers include: Most Rev. Victor Galeone, Bishop of St. Augustine; Mark Johnson, Ph.D., Marquette University; and John Grabowski, Ph.D., Catholic University of America.

Special Features

Conference retreat director, Rev. Kurt Pritzl, O.P.

Group trip to northern Arizona (Sedona) with a visit to a "Ghost Town!"

Optional trip on Sunday, July 13 to the Grand Canyon.

For more information contact 202-541-3240

The Diocese of Richmond has successfully completed the requirements for Endorsement according to the Standards for Diocesan NFP Ministry. Congratulations to Michael Stone, Director, Office of Justice & Peace and Cheryl Pressl, Diocesan NFP Coordinator.

Both the Diocese of Amarillo and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe have applied for Endorsement according to the Standards for Diocesan NFP Ministry.

The Diocese of LaCrosse successfully completed the requirements for Renewal of Endorsement for the diocesan NFP program. Congratulations to Jeff and Alice Heinzen, NFP Coordinators!

Dr. Josef Roetzer was awarded the Papal Order of St. Gregory with Star. This recognition came about as a result of his years of work in Natural Family Planning. Many have been touched over the years through the work of Dr. Roetzer and we wish him continued success and God's abundant blessings!

Donna Dausman, Director, Office for Family and Youth Ministry, Diocese of Springfield, IL was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontificia Cross for her years of service to families and in particular for promoting Natural Family Planning. Congratulations Donna!

Northwest Family Services celebrates their 25th anniversary on January 10, 2003. NWFS provides not only NFP education and instructor training, but also value based sexuality education in both the public and parochial sectors. Our deepest congratulations are extended to Executive director, Rose Fuller and her "top notch" staff!

The Diocese of St. Cloud's NFP Ministry celebrates its 30th anniversary on February 8, 2003. St. Cloud is an exemplary diocesan program. It's spectacular history can be attributed to a strong working relationship between its bishops, clergy and laity. Accolades to director, Kay Ek who has been with the program from infancy to full maturity.

May the Lord God continue to bless these great NFP pioneers!

Please pray for the repose of the soul of John David Gray-Lewis.

His parents, NFP teacher Gerry and husband, Vic, recently requested prayers from "our NFP friends."

May the Lord bless John David and comfort his family!

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sr. Mary Ursula Fagan, M.M.S. Sr.Ursula died on March 1, she was a Medical Missionary Sister. Many of you know Sr. Ursula through her work at the NFP Center of Washington, D.C. with Hanna Klaus, MD. True tireless servant of God, we will miss her. May God bless her kind and generous soul abundantly!

Email us at nfp@usccb.org
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