The Importance of The Importance of Humanae VitaeHumanae Vitae

Sr. M. Crucis fmdmSr. M. Crucis fmdm

What it’s all What it’s all about…about…

A baby at 20 weeks in the A baby at 20 weeks in the womb.womb.

A baby at 20 weeks in the A baby at 20 weeks in the womb.womb.

The Role of the Family:The Role of the Family:

““By far the most important By far the most important channel of transmission of channel of transmission of culture remains the family; culture remains the family; and when family life fails to and when family life fails to

play its part, we must play its part, we must expect our culture to expect our culture to

deteriorate.”deteriorate.”

T.S. Eliot, ‘Notes Towards the T.S. Eliot, ‘Notes Towards the Definition of Culture,’ 1948Definition of Culture,’ 1948

““By far the most important By far the most important channel of transmission of channel of transmission of culture remains the family; culture remains the family; and when family life fails to and when family life fails to

play its part, we must play its part, we must expect our culture to expect our culture to

deteriorate.”deteriorate.”

T.S. Eliot, ‘Notes Towards the T.S. Eliot, ‘Notes Towards the Definition of Culture,’ 1948Definition of Culture,’ 1948

How did we get here?How did we get here?• Margaret SangerMargaret Sanger

• Founder of National Birth Founder of National Birth Control LeagueControl League

• Started Planned ParenthoodStarted Planned Parenthood• Opened first abortion clinic in Opened first abortion clinic in

New YorkNew York• A proponent of Eugenics, later A proponent of Eugenics, later

adopted by Nazi Germanyadopted by Nazi Germany• Wrote many books to Wrote many books to

champion “women’s champion “women’s liberation”liberation”

• Marie Stopes doing similar Marie Stopes doing similar work in UK.work in UK.• Proponent of anti-Semitist Proponent of anti-Semitist

Nazism, Eugenics Nazism, Eugenics

• Separation of morality from Separation of morality from scientific discoveryscientific discovery• ““Enlightenment”Enlightenment”• ““Modernism”Modernism”• Political agendasPolitical agendas

• ProtestantismProtestantism• Before August 14Before August 14thth, 1930, no , 1930, no

Christian churches accepted Christian churches accepted unnatural methods of birth unnatural methods of birth control as morally control as morally permissible. permissible.

• Church of England was the Church of England was the first to change position (at first to change position (at the 7the 7thth Lambeth Conference), Lambeth Conference), allowing the use of unnatural allowing the use of unnatural forms of birth control as forms of birth control as morally licit.morally licit.

• Within 30 years, most Within 30 years, most mainline Protestant mainline Protestant Denominations allowed for Denominations allowed for contraception, and by 1995, contraception, and by 1995, some 88% of non-Catholic some 88% of non-Catholic Christians stated their Christians stated their approval of contraception as approval of contraception as morally right.morally right.

Myths of the Contraceptive Myths of the Contraceptive PillPill

• Easy to take and does Easy to take and does not require any not require any abstinence from sexabstinence from sex

• Enables couples to limit Enables couples to limit the size of their familiesthe size of their families

• Does not interfere with Does not interfere with spontaneous lovemaking spontaneous lovemaking as other methods do e.g. as other methods do e.g. condomcondom

• Relieves the anxiety of Relieves the anxiety of an ‘unwanted pregnancy’ an ‘unwanted pregnancy’

• Reduces the need for Reduces the need for abortionabortion

• Gives the woman control Gives the woman control over her own fertilityover her own fertility

• Is easily reversible- a Is easily reversible- a woman can get pregnant woman can get pregnant anytime she wants!anytime she wants!

• No significant unpleasant No significant unpleasant ‘side effects’‘side effects’

• Enables couples to plan Enables couples to plan their families as they their families as they wishwish

• Secures the harmony and Secures the harmony and peace of the family and peace of the family and better conditions for the better conditions for the education of the children education of the children

Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI

• Prophetic message of Prophetic message of Humanae Vitae, or “Of Humanae Vitae, or “Of Human Life” on 25Human Life” on 25thth July July 19681968• Response to the Response to the

legalisation of abortion legalisation of abortion in many countries, as in many countries, as well as the well as the development and development and promotion of promotion of contraceptive pillcontraceptive pill

Humanae VitaeHumanae Vitae

• Reaffirms Traditional Reaffirms Traditional teaching of the Churchteaching of the Church• That “contraception was That “contraception was

a grave attack on human a grave attack on human life”life”• Prohibits all forms of Prohibits all forms of

artificial contraceptionartificial contraception• Reinforces the beauty of, Reinforces the beauty of,

and reaffirms the dignity, and reaffirms the dignity, of the call to a vocation of the call to a vocation to married life.to married life.

• Offers practical guidance Offers practical guidance to married people on to married people on how to faithfully live the how to faithfully live the Church’s teachings.Church’s teachings.

A Message of A Message of Controversy…Controversy…

•The publication of Humanae Vitae marks the first time in the twentieth century that open dissent about teachings of the Church was voiced widely and publicly.

•Criticized by development organisations and others who claimed that it limits the methods available to fight population growth and struggle against AIDS.•Dissident theologians and Bishops rebelled against the teaching, issuing a statement claiming that Catholics’ individual consciences should prevail in such a personal and private issue. e.g. Washington Statement (USA).•Canadian “Winnipeg Statement,” and the Dutch and German Catechisms supported the role of individual conscience.•Only support of note came from Latin America.

Prophetic Message…Prophetic Message…

•Pope gave 4 predictions, regarded by many as prophetic, of the effects of artificial contraception on society:

•It will be easy for many to justify behaviour leading to marital infidelity and a general gradual weakening of morals•Husbands will become accustomed to contraceptive practices, will lose respect for their wives, and use their wives as serving their own desires•A dangerous power will be put into the hands of rulers who care little about the moral law to use contraception to solve certain problems affecting the nation•Man will come to believe that he has unlimited dominion over his own body, and over the natural operations of his body.

Some facts…Some facts…

• Increased marital breakupIncreased marital breakup

• Less people getting marriedLess people getting married• preference is to having a “partner”preference is to having a “partner”

• Increase in STIs including HIV/AIDS in BritainIncrease in STIs including HIV/AIDS in Britain

• Increased teenage pregnancy ratesIncreased teenage pregnancy rates

• Increased abortion ratesIncreased abortion rates

• More violent crimes committed by young people and More violent crimes committed by young people and womenwomen• LLack of parenting?ack of parenting?• Who is the father? Britain’s legislation removing father Who is the father? Britain’s legislation removing father

from picture completelyfrom picture completely

• Increased infertility rates Increased infertility rates

What is happening?What is happening?• Liberalism/ modernism/ Liberalism/ modernism/

relativismrelativism

• Sexual RevolutionSexual Revolution

• ““Equal Rights” for WomenEqual Rights” for Women• Denies natural feminine Denies natural feminine

beauty and role in favour of beauty and role in favour of emasculationemasculation

• Post-Christian EraPost-Christian Era• Fueled by media, the minority Fueled by media, the minority

can push atheistic agenda on can push atheistic agenda on majoritymajority

• Loss of sense of sinLoss of sense of sin

• EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism• Shift from care for the human Shift from care for the human

person in favour of “saving person in favour of “saving the planet”the planet”

• ““Over-population” as a Over-population” as a reason to promote reason to promote contraceptives and abortioncontraceptives and abortion

• Reducing carbon footprint– Reducing carbon footprint– 1.7 children is the optimum 1.7 children is the optimum per coupleper couple

• Societal DesertSocietal Desert

Magisterial teachings on Magisterial teachings on Life…Life…

• Pope Pius XIPope Pius XI• Casti Connubii- 1930, Casti Connubii- 1930,

four months after four months after Lambeth ConferenceLambeth Conference• Marriage as not only Marriage as not only

procreative, but procreative, but unitiveunitive

• Pope John XXIIIPope John XXIII• Mater et Magistra- 1961Mater et Magistra- 1961

• ““Human life is sacred: Human life is sacred: from its very from its very inception”inception”

• Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI• Humanae Vitae- 1968Humanae Vitae- 1968

• Second Vatican CouncilSecond Vatican Council• Gaudium et Spes- 1965Gaudium et Spes- 1965

• Sections 27 and 51Sections 27 and 51

• Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II• Familiaris Consortio-1981Familiaris Consortio-1981• Sollictudo Rei Socialis-1987Sollictudo Rei Socialis-1987• Mullieris Dignitatem-1988Mullieris Dignitatem-1988• Christifideles Laici-1988Christifideles Laici-1988• Centesimus Annus-1991Centesimus Annus-1991• Veritatis Splendor-1993Veritatis Splendor-1993• Evangelium Vitae-1995Evangelium Vitae-1995• Love and Responsibility-1960 Love and Responsibility-1960

(Wojtyla)(Wojtyla)• ““Man and Woman He Created Man and Woman He Created

Them: A Theology of the Body”Them: A Theology of the Body”• Series of 129 Catechesis Series of 129 Catechesis

sessions delivered between sessions delivered between September 5, 1979 and September 5, 1979 and November 28, 1984November 28, 1984

• Congregation for the Doctrine Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faithof the Faith• Donum Vitae-1987Donum Vitae-1987

• Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI• Deus Caritas Est- 2005Deus Caritas Est- 2005

The “JP2” Generation…The “JP2” Generation…

•Hope in the wake of liberal response to the teachings of the Successors of Peter, and the lack of correct implementation of Vatican II.

•Lay Theologians and Catholic Writers have picked up the banner and kept it waving:

•Janet E. Smith•Kimberly Hahn•Christopher West•Mary Shivanandan•Jacqueline Kasun and Others

Further Reading…Further Reading…•Hahn, Kimberly. Life Giving Love.

•Kippley, John F. Sex and the Marriage Covenant: A Basis for Morality.

•Rubio, Julie Hanlon. Beyond the Liberal/ Conservative Divide on Contraception

•Sacks, Jonathan. The Politics of Hope

•Shivanandan, Mary. Crossing the Threshold of Love: A New Vision of Marriage.

•Smith, Janet. Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader.

•Smith, Janet. Humanae Vitae a Generation Later.

•West, Christopher. Theology of the Body for Beginners.

•West, Christopher. Theology of the Body Explained.

•West, Christopher. Good News About Sex and Marriage.

•Wjotyla, Karol. Love and Responsibility.

•Woodall, George. Humanae Vitae: Forty Years On.

•John Paul II. Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body.