It was exactly 45 years today (25th July 1968) that Pope Paul VI issued his encyclical Humanae Vitae (In English: Of Human Life) on the Regulation of Birth.
At a time when many other Christian denominations were capitulating to the allure of artificial contraception and birth-control that promised the world sex without self-control , the encyclical re-affirmed the pristine and consistent teaching of the Church regarding married love , responsible parenthood and procreation.
In this prophetic document , Pope Paul VI made some predictions (in paragraph #17 of the document) about a futuristic world deformed and crippled by a widespread culture of contraception.His exact words were:“Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control.
Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards.
Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law.It is also to be feared that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods , 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 as his respected and beloved companion.
Let it be considered also that a dangerous weapon would thus be placed in the hands of those piblic authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law.
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 favouring, from even imposing upon their peoples, if they were to consider it necessary, the method of contraception which they judge to be most 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. “
*Emphasis added*
And so we are here , 45 years later , indeed part of that futuristic world and we see the actualisation of his words with indisputable accuracy – alarmingly high rates of contraception usage especially in the developed world , women are extremely objectified , level of infidelity and promiscuity is unprecedented , many couples are dissatisfied in the empty promise of the casual sex culture, premarital sex is now a norm in many parts of the world, divorce rate is at an all time high, governments are falling over each other in their attempts to sterilise as many people as they can get their hands on and a growing cult of wealthy donors and philanthropists engaged in an aggressive global spread of contraception.
Our world is drowning in the toxic pool of the Culture of Death . And at the source of this pool is the pill and all its derivatives.
We invite all to pray today for all married couples who lack or need the courage to reject artificial contraception in order to embrace God’s full design for married love , that they will consider Natural Family Planning
We also pray for the return of chastity, responsibility , decency and modesty to our world . So that women can be cherished once again , marriages can be fortified and families protected.
We also invite you to read (or re-read) and meditate on this amazing document Humanae Vitae on this 45th anniversary.
It is for everyone – Men , women ,Catholics and Non-Catholics , people of faith as well as people of no faith at all , this document offers a rich and profound reflection on the beauty and dignity of human sexuality and procreation and so it is for YOU !
Tolle , Lege ! Click and Read!
* This picture captures a beautiful group of African pilgrims during the 2011 visit of Pope Benedict to French speaking West African country – Benin Republic.
The pilgrims’ banner reads “Nous soutenons HUMANAE VITAE” which means – “We support HUMANAE VITAE”
I am convinced that in reading Humanae Vitae today and considering the detrimental erosive and even corrosive effects of artificial contraception on the world in the last 45 years , you too will join in the chorus of the African pilgrims , you too will get behind a bold banner that reads “Nous soutenons HUMANAE VITAE” !