THE TABLET
July 12, 2008

'Humanae Vitae' Follows Natural Law

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In this issue and next, The Tablet is focusing on the 40th anniversary of the Encyclical Letter “Humanae Vitae” issued by Pope Paul VI.  The letter, on the regulation of birth, created a tremendous stir in the Church of 1968.  At that time, I was completing my seminary studies, not yet ordained to the diaconate, and so I had a firsthand remembrance of this historic document. 

The context of that time, the sixties, was one of great upheaval in the world, especially in regard to what has become known as the “sexual revolution.”  Everyone wanted to be liberated from the conventions and moral rules of the past.  The women’s liberation movement was also very active.  During this historical context, the birth control pill was also created, which was purported to give a new freedom to women and men in regard to so-called sexual intimacy.
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When we look back over these forty years, we recognize the results of the misunderstanding and disregard for this prophetic letter and watershed event in the history of the Church.  Some of the consequences evident today, especially in Europe, are a demographic deficit or a low replacement birthrate, which will cause European societies in the near future to experience tremendous upheaval.  Certainly this was not the purpose of Pope Paul’s letter, but rather its goal was to remain faithful to the Church’s teaching over the centuries as it was applied to a new phenomenon, the ability of the human person to control fertility.  Fertility, however, is God’s great gift to the human race, the ability to reproduce itself.  It is always true that with a responsibility comes also a challenge for the human race.  When one develops a philosophy of limits, however, immediately limits take over.  The prophets of over-population and other misguided analyses have led not only to the artificial regulation of birth, but to a contraceptive mentality that also condones abortion and sterilization.  What can this lesson in ecclesial and world history teach us?

Perhaps a look at the encyclical itself will be helpful.  It is available on www.vatican.va/holyfather/paulvi/encyclicals/documents/hf p-vienc25071968.  A simple view of the encyclical first mentions the struggle that Pope Paul VI underwent, as the commission he created to advise him on the issue of artificial contraception returned a report that seemed to favor the approval of some means of artificial contraception, mainly the pill.  Pope Paul VI, however, recognizing his own responsibilities about the matter, returned with a totally different decision which became a source of dissent among some theologians in the Church, especially those who cried for the conciliar approach as the Second Vatican Council had just concluded.  Pope Paul VI, recognizing his responsibility and noting that the Church at times is called to be “a sign of contradiction,” issued a clear statement full of compassion to the Catholic faithful of the world and to all people of good will.

The encyclical begins by explaining God’s design for the human race, referring several times to what is known as the natural law.  The concept of natural law is not easily understood by many people of our own time who are more comfortable with the scientific approach to nature that does not seek to discover laws, but rather determinants in cause-and-effect relationships.  The natural law, written in the hearts of men and women, became the best way that Paul VI could explain his decision to the world. 

Pope John Paul II, a staunch defender of the encyclical as a bishop at that time, wrote a wonderful book called “Love and Responsibility.” As Bishop of Krakow, he explained to his people the fundamental principles upon which Pope Paul VI based his encyclical.  John Paul went on to develop what has become known as the theology of the body, or human love in the divine plan, as it is also known.  As a philosopher of personalism, he was able to explain in a more understandable way the unique connection between love, responsibility and personhood as we understand it in our own day and age.

Pope John Paul began his teaching on the theology of the body by explaining the Book of Genesis and the story of creation, where we see clearly God’s plan for the human race which went awry because of man’s misunderstanding of God’s love and commandments.  The same phenomenon holds true in our day and age insofar as we misunderstand God’s commandments and consequently we misunderstand God’s love for us.

The encyclical reaffirms that parents have the responsibility of procreating only the children for which they can be responsible.  At the same time, the encyclical emphasizes the marriage act as one, with a unitive power between the spouses and a procreative function; the two are inseparable.  To be responsible as parents, however, means at times to have recourse to the infertile periods so couples may continue to express their love for one another.  The encyclical stresses the virtue of chastity within marriage and the importance of self-discipline, because if a couple wishes to practice natural family planning there must be periods of chastity and self-discipline.

Artificial contraception, in all of its various methods, frustrates the purpose of marriage and reduces the couple to using one another as instruments of sexual gratification without being open to life.  This teaching is not an easy one to understand or to live; however, it is clear and calls upon Catholics to look beyond the constructs of our society and rely on the teaching of our Church that is both timeless and valid in all circumstances.

Various articles in The Tablet, both in this issue and in next week’s edition, will bring to our attention the true meaning of this encyclical.     I ask you to take the time to read the encyclical.  It truly is a pastoral document which shows compassion and understanding, even for those who cannot easily accept or live this teaching.

As a teacher of the faith, I have great sympathy for the courage of Pope Paul VI as he truly “put out into the deep” to defend human life and reaffirm its most fundamental purpose as God’s gift to us and as humankind’s responsibility to succeed in generations. 

Join me in praying on this upcoming 40th anniversary of the encyclical on the Feast of St. James, July 25, that as a Church we can regain a true understanding of what the natural law teaches us and how, as human persons, it is the best and infallible guide for our happiness.