Colegio De La Purisima Concepcion

The School of Archdiocese of Capiz

Roxas City

Theology 4

HUMANAE VITAE

Submitted by: Jeremy L. Javillo

Cherrie Lyn Fuentes
BSED 2-A

Submitted to: Niño Joy

Alcayde
Professor
Introduction

In this encyclical Paul VI reaffirmed the Catholic Church's 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

math on the question of artificial birth control, [4] which were noted by the

Pope in his encyclical.[5] The expressed views of Paul VI reflected the

teachings of his predecessors, especially Pius XI,[6] Pius XII[7] and John XXIII,

 all of whom had insisted on the divine obligations of the marital partners in
[8]

light of their partnership with God the creator.

Paul VI himself, even as commission members issued their personal

views over the years, always reaffirmed the teachings of the Church,

repeating them more than once in the first years of his Pontificate.[9]

To Pope Paul VI, marital relations are much more than a union of two people.

In his view, they constitute a union of the loving couple with a loving God, in

which the two persons generate the matter for the body, while God creates

the unique soul of a person. For this reason, Paul VI teaches in the first

sentence of Humanae Vitae, that the "transmission of human life is a most

serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with

God the Creator."[10] This is divine partnership, so Paul VI does not allow for

arbitrary human decisions, which may limit divine providence. According to

Paul VI, marital relations are a source of great joy, but also of difficulties and
hardships.[10] The question of human procreation with God, exceeds in the

view of Paul VI specific disciplines such

as biology, psychology, demography or sociology.[11] According to Paul VI,

married love takes its origin from God, who is love, and from this basic

dignity, he defines his position:

Love is total — that very special form of personal friendship in which

husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable

exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really

loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner

for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the

gift of him. The encyclical opens with an assertion of the competency of

the magisterium of the Catholic Church to decide questions of morality. It

then goes on to observe that circumstances often dictate that married

couples should limit the number of children, and that the sexual act between

husband and wife is still worthy even if it can be foreseen not to result in

procreation. Nevertheless, it is held that the sexual act must retain its

intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life.

Every action specifically intended to prevent procreation is forbidden,

except in medically necessary circumstances. Therapeutic means necessary

to cure diseases are exempted, even if a foreseeable impediment to

procreation should result, but only if infertility is not directly intended. [13] This

is held to directly contradict the moral order which was established by

God. Abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, is absolutely forbidden, as

is sterilization, even if temporary. Therapeutic means which induce infertility

are allowed (e.g., hysterectomy), if they are not specifically intended to

cause infertility (e.g., the uterus is cancerous, so the preservation of life is

intended). If there are well grounded reasons (arising from the physical or

psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external

circumstances), Natural family planning methods (abstaining from

intercourse during certain parts of the menstrual cycle) are allowed, since

they take advantage of a faculty provided by nature.[13]

History

Origins

See also: Christian views on contraception

There had been a long-standing general Christian prohibition on

contraception and abortion, with such Church Fathers as Clement of

Alexandria and Saint Augustine condemning the practices. It was not until

the 1930 Lambeth Conference that the Anglican Communion allowed for

contraception in limited circumstances. Mainline Protestant denominations

have since removed prohibitions against artificial contraception.In a partial

reaction, Pope Pius XI wrote the encyclical Casti connubii (On Christian

Marriage) in 1930, reaffirming the Catholic Church's belief in various

traditional Christian teachings on marriage and sexuality, including the

prohibition of artificial birth control even within marriage. Casti connubii is

against contraception and regarding natural family planning allowed married

couples to use their nuptial rights "in the proper manner" when because of

either time or defects, new life could not be brought forth.

Humanae Vitae (On Human Life) is Pope Paul VI’s famed 1968 encyclical on

contraception and reproductive ethics. Written in light of a study

commissioned by the Vatican on modern reproductive issues, its timing

coincided with the sudden prevalence of contraception and concerns about

overpopulation in society at large. Pope Paul VI’s writings reaffirmed long-

held Church teachings about human nature and new life, but also explained

how this wisdom was to be applied in a modern cultural context. Here is a

Humanae Vitae summary with the basic points of the Church’s message:

#1. God is the Author of Life, and the Lives He Creates are Sacred

God wills into existence every life brought into the world as part of His plan

for creation. We are made in His image and likeness and as the Supreme

Creator, it is He who has mastery over life and death. To interfere with life
between conception and natural death is in essence usurping God’s ultimate

authority.

We are made to know, love and serve Him, and our reproductive capacity

mirrors this relationship. Our creative potential is united with God’s in the

marital act. Any attempt to end a life through abortion or contraception

(which is an abortifacient) defies God’s will for His creation, and is strongly

condemned by the Church.

#2. Procreation is the Heart of Marriage.

Married love is a holy institution designed by God to reflect the love that

exists between Christ and His Church. In marriage, the totality of the human

person is a mutual giving of oneself is first an exchange of loving the other

unselfishly with body, soul, and will. By sharing everything and uniting

themselves heart and soul, husband and wife perfect each other and reach a

deeper state of human fulfillment.

Moreover, this relationship of complete love is privileged to be the

instrument God uses to bring new lives into the world. Marriage is designed

for procreation on both the spiritual and physical levels, and children are the

“supreme gift” of marriage. All married couples are called to be open to this

gift; to do otherwise is to deny the spiritual and physical premise of

marriage.
#3. Openness to Procreation Affirms the Dignity of Woman.

In its explanation of the social effects of contraception, Humanae Vitae

points out that when a woman’s sacred ability to give life is taken away, her

role in a sexual encounter will often be that of an object of pleasure. This role

is beneath the dignity of woman and contrary to the meaning of conjugal

love, which is meant to be a mutual gift of self, in which the other is loved

and appreciated for their individuality, and never used as a means to an end.

When the life-giving aspect of such love is preserved, its implications are too

great to be undertaken lightly for selfish reasons. A woman in this scenario is

not an object of pleasure, but has inside of her a miracle of creative

potential, and must be honored, respected and loved. The same could also

work in reverse, for if pleasure is the only aim of sexuality, this works against

mutual respect of the spouses, love for children and ultimately, love for the

Creator as part of the process.

#4. This Does Not Mean It Is Always God’s Will for a Couple to

Conceive.

While married couples must always be open to procreation, it is

acknowledged that they have a great many other obligations and are

expected to make prudent decisions, especially regarding the enormous

privilege and responsibility of raising children. The Church understands the

difficulties placed upon families by the modern world, and certainly allows

couples to limit marital relations to infertile periods if external

circumstances, or the physical or psychological condition of the spouses are

unfavorable for procreation.

So, while not to be taken lightly, certain factors sometimes create legitimate

circumstances in which a couple, by use of a well-formed conscience and

prayerful discernment, may determine that it is not the will of God that they

should conceive at that time.

#5. Couples may take advantage of the infertile periods provided by

God to temporarily avoid conception.

Humanae Vitae Summary

Courtesy: Couple to Couple League

In the order of nature established by God, there is a way to enrich a marriage

through conjugal love while avoiding conception by limiting intercourse to

the infertile periods of the reproductive cycle. The moral implications of this

natural kind of birth control are completely different; it honors the divine

wisdom evident in God’s creation and works within the boundaries laid out

for us, rather than overruling God by disrupting the natural order. The

practice of periodic self-denial also helps to strengthen the marriage by

converting selfish love into charity, bringing husband and wife to a greater

awareness of their responsibilities, and improving the discipline that will

protect their chastity and help them overcome other difficulties. The spouses

will be blessed with tranquility and peace.

#6. Artificial Birth Control Is a Recipe for Cultural Disaster.

Use of contraception or sterilization denies the true nature of marriage and

the dignity of man, and the consequences of this denial are far reaching. One

must consider Pope Saint Paul VI’s prophetic words on what would follow the

separation of procreation from the marital act. In Humanae Vitae, he said:

Moral standards would be lowered.

Marital infidelity would increase.

Disrespect for womanhood would follow.

Also to be considered is the general principle that what is acceptable for

private use, later becomes acceptable for public use. Artificial birth control

has enormous potential for misuse by civil authorities trying to address

problems of the modern era. (If that sounds far-fetched, consider the one

child policy in China, and the sterilization programs put in place by the Third

Reich).

NB: If infertility is not the purpose, but an unintended side effect of a

necessary therapeutic measure, it is not considered an act of opposition to

God’s design of humanity and marriage (for instance, if a spouse is treated

for cancer and the treatments cause infertility). There are many separate

aspects to therapeutic treatment, however, which cannot all be covered

within this article. For instance, contraception prescribed for health reasons
would still preclude marital relations during fertile periods. When in doubt,

check with a good pro-life priest for further guidance.

#7. Change the Culture, Instead of Ignoring the Moral Law That

“Doesn’t Fit” Our Culture.

The circumstances that make artificial birth control seem like a necessary

evil must be changed. Fertility is not a disease; it is a gift. Nor is any solution

permissible if it violates the dignity of man, made in God’s image. The Pope

asserts that it is never acceptable to do evil in order to avoid a bad outcome.

Social and economic progress must take the entire person into account.

As an antidote, Humanae Vitae calls for societal promotion of “true human

values,” such as encouraging commitment in marriage which leads to stable

families, which will in turn enable more families to welcome children into a

loving, more economically sound unit. He also calls for all unchaste and

indecent images to be removed from the media, which promote an

unhealthy and sinful view of sexuality, promiscuity and objectification of the

other person, and many other evils.

Humanae Vitae summary: this encyclical, issued in 1968 by Pope Paul VI,

gives the Church’s answer to questions of love and child rearing between

married couples, specifically questions that have arisen from the conditions

of the modern world.