Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Humanae Vitae 31

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Final Appeal

31. Venerable brothers, most beloved sons, and all men of good will, great indeed is the work of education, of progress and of love to which we call you, upon the foundation of the Church's teaching, of which the successor of Peter is, together with his brothers in the episcopate, the depositary and interpreter. Truly a great work, as we are deeply convinced, both for the world and for the Church, since man cannot find true happiness -- towards which he aspires with all his being -- other than in respect of the laws written by God in his very nature, laws which he must observe with intelligence and love. Upon this work, and upon all of you, and especially upon married couples, we invoke the abundant graces of the God of holiness and mercy, and in pledge thereof we impart to you all our apostolic blessing.

Given at Rome, from St. Peter's, this 25th day of July, feast of St. James the Apostle, in the year 1968, the sixth of our pontificate.

PAULUS PP.VI.


Monday, July 30, 2007

Humanae Vitae 30

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

To Bishops

30. Beloved and venerable brothers in the episcopate, with whom we most intimately share the solicitude of the spiritual good of the People of God, at the conclusion of this encyclical our reverent and affectionate thoughts turn to you. To all of you we extend an urgent invitation. At the head of the priests, your collaborators, and of your faithful, work ardently and incessantly for the safeguarding and the holiness of marriage, so that it may always be lived in its entire human and Christian fullness. Consider this mission as one of your most urgent responsibilities at the present time. As you know, it implies concerted pastoral action in all the fields of human activity, economic, cultural and social; for, in fact, only a simultaneous improvement in these various sectors will make it possible to render the life of parents and of children within their families not only tolerable, but easier and more joyous, to render the living together in human society more fraternal and peaceful, in faithfulness to God's design for the world.

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Sunday, July 29, 2007

Humanae Vitae 29

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

To Priests cont.

29. To diminish in no way the saving teaching of Christ constitutes an eminent form of charity for souls. But this must ever be accompanied by patience and goodness, such as the Lord himself gave example of in dealing with men. Having come not to condemn but to save,[41] he was indeed intransigent with evil, but merciful towards individuals.

In their difficulties, may married couples always find, in the words and in the heart of a priest, the echo of the voice and the love of the Redeemer.

And then speak with confidence, beloved sons, fully convinced that the spirit of God, while He assists the magisterium in proposing doctrine, illumines internally the hearts of the faithful inviting them to give their assent. Teach married couples the indispensable way of prayer; prepare them to have recourse often and with faith to the sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance, without ever allowing themselves to be discouraged by their own weakness.


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Saturday, July 28, 2007

Humanae Vitae 28

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

To Priests

28. Beloved priest sons, by vocation you are the counselors and spiritual guides of individual persons and of families. We now turn to you with confidence. Your first task -- especially in the case of those who teach moral theology -- is to expound the Church's teaching on marriage without ambiguity. Be the first to give, in the exercise of your ministry, the example of loyal internal and external obedience to the teaching authority of the Church. That obedience, as you know well, obliges not only because of the reasons adduced, but rather because of the light of the Holy Spirit, which is given in a particular way to the pastors of the Church in order that they may illustrate the truth.[39] You know, too, that it is of the utmost importance, for peace of consciences and for the unity of the Christian people, that in the field of morals as well as in that of dogma, all should attend to the magisterium of the Church, and all should speak the same language. Hence, with all our heart we renew to you the heartfelt plea of the great Apostle Paul: "I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment."[40]

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Friday, July 27, 2007

Humanae Vitae 27

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

To Doctors and Medical Personnel

27. We hold those physicians and medical personnel in the highest esteem who, in the exercise of their profession, value above every human interest the superior demands of their Christian vocation. Let them persevere, therefore, in promoting on every occasion the discovery of solutions inspired by faith and right reason, let them strive to arouse this conviction and this respect in their associates. Let them also consider as their proper professional duty the task of acquiring all the knowledge needed in this delicate sector, so as to be able to give to those married persons who consult them wise counsel and healthy direction, such as they have a right to expect.
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Thursday, July 26, 2007

Humanae Vitae 26

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Apostolate in Homes

26. Among the fruits which ripen forth from a generous effort of fidelity to the divine law, one of the most precious is that married couples themselves not infrequently feel the desire to communicate their experience to others. Thus there comes to be included in the vast pattern of the vocation of the laity a new and most noteworthy form of the apostolate of like to like; it is married couples themselves who become apostles and guides to other married couples. This is assuredly, among so many forms of apostolate, one of those which seem most opportune today.[38]

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Humanae Vitae 25

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


To Christian Husbands and Wives

25. And now our words more directly address our own children, particularly those whom God calls to serve Him in marriage. The Church, while teaching imprescriptible demands of the divine law, announces the tidings of salvation, and by means of the sacraments opens up the paths of grace, which makes man a new creature, capable of corresponding with love and true freedom to the design of his Creator and Savior, and of finding the yoke of Christ to be sweet.[31]

Christian married couples, then, docile to her voice, must remember that their Christian vocation, which began at baptism, is further specified and reinforced by the sacrament of matrimony. By it husband and wife are strengthened and as it were consecrated for the faithful accomplishment of their proper duties, for the carrying out of their proper vocation even to perfection, and the Christian witness which is proper to them before the whole world.[32] To them the Lord entrusts the task of making visible to men the holiness and sweetness of the law which unites the mutual love of husband and wife with their cooperation with the love of God the author of human life.

We do not at all intend to hide the sometimes serious difficulties inherent in the life of Christian married persons; for them as for everyone else, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life."[33] But the hope of that life must illuminate their way, as with courage they strive to live with wisdom, justice and piety in this present time,[34] knowing that the figure of this world passes away.[35]

Let married couples, then, face up to the efforts needed, supported by the faith and hope which "do not disappoint . . . because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to Us"[36]; let them implore divine assistance by persevering prayer; above all, let them draw from the source of grace and charity in the Eucharist. And if sin should still keep its hold over them, let them not be discouraged, but rather have recourse with humble perseverance to the mercy of God, which is poured forth in the sacrament of Penance. In this way they will be enabled to achieve the fullness of conjugal life described by the Apostle: "husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church . . . husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the Church . . . this is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."[37]


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This is so encouraging to me. I struggle all the time to be the leader and man I should be. I often grow inpatient (getting angry), critical (becoming demanding), and even cynical (irritably discouraged). When we men start to truly accept the weight of our responsibility while not yet having learned to trust and rest fully in Christ, it can cause anxiety. I love the prayer of the Church after the "Our Father".
Deliver us Lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day. In Your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.
To be able to draw grace from the Sacraments is so refreshing. Understanding more fully the Sacramental nature of marriage strengthens faith, hope, and love.





Humanae Vitae 24

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

To Men of Science

24. We wish now to express our encouragement to men of science, who "can considerably advance the welfare of marriage and the family, along with peace of conscience, if by pooling their efforts they labor to explain more thoroughly the various conditions favoring a proper regulation of births."[28] It is particularly desirable that, according to the wish already expressed by Pope Pius XII, medical science succeed in providing a sufficiently secure basis for a regulation of birth, founded on the observance of natural rhythms.[29] In this way, scientists and especially Catholic scientists will contribute to demonstrate in actual fact that, as the Church teaches, "a true contradiction cannot exist between the divine laws pertaining to the transmission of life and those pertaining to the fostering of authentic conjugal love."[30]

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The science of embryology has grown tremendously. Various forms of Natural Family Planning have grown out of this specific challange to make advances in science.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Humanae Vitae 23

HUMANAE VITAE
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Appeal to Public Authorities

23. To Rulers, who are those principally responsible for the common good, and who can do so much to safeguard moral customs, we say: Do not allow the morality of your peoples to be degraded; do not permit that by legal means practices contrary to the natural and divine law be introduced into that fundamental cell, the family. Quite other is the way in which public authorities can and must contribute to the solution of the demographic problem: namely, the way of a provident policy for the family, of a wise education of peoples in respect of moral law and the liberty of citizens.

We are well aware of the serious difficulties experienced by public authorities in this regard, especially in the developing countries. To their legitimate preoccupations we devoted our encyclical letter Populorum Progressio. But with our predecessor Pope John XXIII, we repeat: no solution to these difficulties is acceptable "which does violence to man's essential dignity" and is based only on an utterly materialistic conception of man himself and of his life. The only possible solution to this question is one which envisages the social and economic progress both of individuals and of the whole of human society, and which respects and promotes true human values.[26] Neither can one, without grave injustice, consider divine providence to be responsible for what depends, instead, on a lack of wisdom in government, on an insufficient sense of social justice, on selfish monopolization, or again on blameworthy indolence in confronting the efforts and the sacrifices necessary to ensure the raising of living standards of a people and of all its sons.[27]

May all responsible public authorities -- as some are already doing so laudably -- generously revive their efforts. And may mutual aid between all the members of the great human family never cease to grow: This is an almost limitless field which thus opens up to the activity of the great international organizations.


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Humanae Vitae 22


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


Creating an Atmosphere Favorable to Chastity

22. On this occasion, we wish to draw the attention of educators, and of all who perform duties of responsibility in regard to the common good of human society, to the need of creating an atmosphere favorable to education in chastity, that is, to the triumph of healthy liberty over license by means of respect for the moral order.

Everything in the modern media of social communications which leads to sense excitation and unbridled customs, as well as every form of pornography and licentious performances, must arouse the frank and unanimous reaction of all those who are solicitous for the progress of civilization and the defense of the common good of the human spirit. Vainly would one seek to justify such depravation with the pretext of artistic or scientific exigencies,[25] or to deduce an argument from the freedom allowed in this sector by the public authorities.

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Every Catholic should oppose the distribution of pornography. So much of the filth on TV is reprehensible and clearly does not fall under any aspect of free speech to be allowed in the Constitution and clearly not within the context of Natural Law.



Friday, July 20, 2007

Humanae Vitae 20


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Possibility of Observing the Divine Law

20. The teaching of the Church on the regulation of birth, which promulgates the divine law, will easily appear to many to be difficult or even impossible of actuation. And indeed, like all great beneficent realities, it demands serious engagement and much effort, individual, family and social effort. More than that, it would not be practicable without the help of God, who upholds and strengthens the good will of men. Yet, to anyone who reflects well, it cannot but be clear that such efforts ennoble man and are beneficial to the human community.
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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Humanae Vitae 19


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


The Church, Mater et Magistra

19. Our words would not be an adequate expression of the thought and solicitude of the Church, Mother and Teacher of all peoples, if, after having recalled men to the observance and respect of the divine law regarding matrimony, we did not strengthen them in the path of honest regulation of birth, even amid the difficult conditions which today afflict families and peoples. The Church, in fact, cannot have a different conduct towards men than that of the Redeemer: She knows their weaknesses, has compassion on the crowd, receives sinners; but she cannot renounce the teaching of the law which is, in reality, that law proper to a human life restored to its original truth and conducted by the spirit of God.[24]


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As teacher and mother, the Church speaks the truth in love as it should be.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Humanae Vitae 18


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


The Church, Guarantor of True Human Values

18. It can be foreseen that this teaching will perhaps not be easily received by all: Too numerous are those voices -- amplified by the modern means of propaganda -- which are contrary to the voice of the Church. To tell the truth, the Church is not surprised to be made, like her divine Founder, a "sign of contradiction",[22] yet she does not because of this cease to proclaim with humble firmness the entire moral law, both natural and evangelical. Of such laws the Church was not the author, nor consequently can she be their arbiter; she is only their depositary and their interpreter, without ever being able to declare to be licit that which is not so by reason of its intimate and unchangeable opposition to the true good of man.

In defending conjugal morals in their integral wholeness, the Church knows that she contributes towards the establishment of a truly human civilization; she engages man not to abdicate from his own responsibility in order to rely on technical means; by that very fact she defends the dignity of man and wife. Faithful to both the teaching and the example of the Savior, she shows herself to be the sincere and disinterested friend of men, whom she wishes to help, even during their earthly sojourn, "to share as sons in the life of the living God, the Father of all men."[23]

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Not only did the world reject this teaching but practically all of Christianity. Even the majority of Catholics found the teaching to be "not easily received". In fact entire Theological and Philosophical constructs were fabricated to justify the disent within the Church. When Jesus said, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" it was not easily received. "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Is it any wonder that so many turned away from the authority of the Papacy and the Church? The greatest number of those resistant, however, simply stayed. In the relativistic minds of our current culture it didn't matter what the authority of the Church said anyway. They would simply define their ideas of dogma and truth. It was actually the most destructive type of rebellion and led to the decline of civilization. Prov. 29:18, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law." When the truth is rejected, decadence ensues.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Humanae Vitae 17


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Grave Consequences of Methods of Artificial Birth Control

17. Upright men can even better convince themselves of the solid grounds on which the teaching of the Church in this field is based, if they care to reflect upon the consequences of methods of artificial birth control. Let them consider, first of all, how wide and easy a road would thus be opened up towards conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality. Not much experience is needed in order to know human weakness, and to understand that men -- especially the young, who are so vulnerable on this point -- have need of encouragement to be faithful to the moral law, so that they must not be offered some easy means of eluding its observance. It is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anti-conceptive practices, 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 public authorities who take no heed of moral exigencies. 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 favoring, 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.

Consequently, if the mission of generating life is not to be exposed to the arbitrary will of men, one must necessarily recognize insurmountable limits to the possibility of man's domination over his own body and its functions; limits which no man, whether a private individual or one invested with authority, may licitly surpass. And such limits cannot be determined otherwise than by the respect due to the integrity of the human organism and its functions, according to the principles recalled earlier, and also according to the correct understanding of the "principle of totality" illustrated by our predecessor Pope Pius XII.[21]


________________________________________________

Prophetic! Let all the haters of the Papacy acknowledge that all of Christianity and in fact all of the world would be better off today had the clear warnings of this Pope been heeded. With all the authority invested in him by God, he clearly predicts the objectifying and using of women when he states that men "may come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment." Obviously, this has always been a temptation of men, but who would have known the level to which this evil would ascend in our time as young daughters wear writing on their rear ends and fathers do nothing about it. Pornography, which is everywhere, abortion, sexual immorality, and the destruction of marriage and the family have exploded since 1968.

He predicted the policies of China to limit families. The murder of the unborn is beyond measure in the deadliest century in history. At the very moment when most needed, just before the complete release of all perversity, God used the Church and His regent to warn the world. Undoubtedly, it was those who were given the most, those who already knew the Pope to be Christ's Vicar on earth that suffered the most in their rejection of the truth. I've already expressed this in posting #1.

How does such truth come from an institution supposedly established on falsehood? Can a house divided against itself stand? It is utterly impossible that an "anti-Christ" or enemy of God could stand to oppose that which has yielded the enemy more death and destruction of human life than Auschwitz and the Gulag. It is the Truth that defends life always and everywhere. Humanae Vitae is the truth pure and simple. It couldn't be any more clear. May God have mercy on those who ignore the truth to protect their own erroneous beliefs.



Monday, July 16, 2007

Humanae Vitae 16


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


Recourse to Infertile Periods

16. To this teaching of the Church on conjugal morals, the objection is made today, as we observed earlier (no. 3), that it is the prerogative of the human intellect to dominate the energies offered by irrational nature and to orientate them towards an end conformable to the good of man. Now, some may ask: in the present case, is it not reasonable in many circumstances to have recourse to artificial birth control if, thereby, we secure the harmony and peace of the family, and better conditions for the education of the children already born? To this question it is necessary to reply with clarity: the Church is the first to praise and recommend the intervention of intelligence in a function which so closely associates the rational creature with his Creator; but she affirms that this must be done with respect for the order established by God.

If, then, there are serious motives to space out births, which derive from the physical or psychological conditions of husband and wife, or from external conditions, the Church teaches that it is then licit to take into account the natural rhythms immanent in the generative functions, for the use of marriage in the infecund periods only, and in this way to regulate birth without offending the moral principles which have been recalled earlier.[20]

The Church is coherent with herself when she considers recourse to the infecund periods to be licit, while at the same time condemning, as being always illicit, the use of means directly contrary to fecundation, even if such use is inspired by reasons which may appear honest and serious. In reality, there are essential differences between the two cases; in the former, the married couple make legitimate use of a natural disposition; in the latter, they impede the development of natural processes. It is true that, in the one and the other case, the married couple are concordant in the positive will of avoiding children for plausible reasons, seeking the certainty that offspring will not arrive; but it is also true that only in the former case are they able to renounce the use of marriage in the fecund periods when, for just motives, procreation is not desirable, while making use of it during infecund periods to manifest their affection and to safeguard their mutual fidelity. By so doing, they give proof of a truly and integrally honest love.


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This whole argument comes down to the fact that true love demands it to be no other way. The end cannot justify the means. One means allows what God has designed for love, not to mention God's design for sex and marriage. While the other, works against Gods design for love, sex, and marriage. Love doesn't use. Love gives. Love in marriage is a total gift. There is no contradiction here in allowing natural family planning and rejecting all other forms of birth control. When using the method one submits to God's control in practice. Onan in scripture used a natural birth control method, but it was evil in the sense that he placed himself in control of the outcome.

It is good to keep in mind that even using the licit, or allowed method, does not mean a person is free from sin if using the proper means with the wrong motive. Also, one is less culpable when in ignorance they use the wrong means with a pure motive. Regardless, in obedience to the our LORD we should always seek to do what is right out of love. This is exactly what the Church is assisting persons of faith to do by educating us in God's purposes for sex and marriage.

Feeling of RAGE!

RENO, Nev. (AP) - A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.

The children of Michael and Iana Straw, a boy age 22 months and a girl age 11 months, were severely malnourished and near death last month when doctors saw them after social workers took them to a hospital, authorities said. Both children are doing well and gaining weight in foster care, prosecutor Kelli Ann Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of child neglect. Each faces a maximum 12-year prison sentence.

Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing "Dungeons & Dragons" series, to give their children proper care.

"They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The article went on to say that the hospital staff had to shave the head of the 11month old girl because her hair was so badly matted with cat urine. The absolute rage that swells in me toward these two is off the scale. I think I would do violence to them. I pray that God will help me put it away, but all I can do right now is confess my anger. These types of stories just make me cry, Maran - atha!!!!


Sunday, July 15, 2007

Humanae Vitae 15


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Lawful Therapeutic Means

15. The Church, on the contrary, does not at all consider illicit the use of those therapeutic means truly necessary to cure diseases of the organism, even if an impediment to procreation, which may be foreseen, should result therefore, provided such impediment is not, for whatever motive, directly willed.[19]
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That means that if a person becomes sterile due to chemotherapy it is not a sin, unless for some bizarre reason they took chemo for the purpose of sterilization.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Humanae Vitae 14


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968
Unlawful Birth Control Methods
14. In conformity with these landmarks in the human and Christian vision of marriage, we must once again declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun, and, above all, directly willed and procured abortion, even if for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as licit means of regulating birth.[14]

Equally to be excluded, as the teaching authority of the Church has frequently declared, is direct sterilization, whether perpetual or temporary, whether of the man or of the woman.[15] Similarly excluded is every action which, either in anticipation
of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible.[16]

To justify conjugal acts made intentionally infecund, one cannot invoke as valid reasons the lesser evil, or the fact that such acts would constitute a whole together with the fecund acts already performed or to follow later, and hence would share in one and the same moral goodness. In truth, if it is sometimes licit to tolerate a lesser evil in order to avoid a greater evil or to promote a greater good,[17] it is not licit, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil so that good may follow therefrom;[18] that
is, to make into the object of a positive act of the will something which is intrinsically disorder, and hence unworthy of the human person, even when the intention is to safeguard or promote individual, family or social well-being. Consequently it is an error to think that a conjugal act which is deliberately made infecund and so is intrinsically dishonest could be made honest and right by the ensemble of a fecund conjugal life.
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Friday, July 13, 2007

Humanae Vitae 13


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

Faithfulness to God's Design

13. It is in fact justly observed that a conjugal act imposed upon one's partner without regard for his or her condition and lawful desires is not a true act of love, and therefore denies an exigency of right moral order in the relationships between husband and wife. Likewise, if they consider the matter, they must admit that an act of mutual love, which is detrimental to the faculty of propagating life, which God the Creator of all, has implanted in it according to special laws, is in contradiction to both the divine plan, according to whose norm matrimony has been instituted, and the will of the Author of human life. To use this divine gift destroying, even if only partially, its meaning and its purpose is to contradict the nature both of man and of woman and of their most intimate relationship, and therefore it is to contradict also the plan of God and His will. On the other hand, to make use of the gift of conjugal love while respecting the laws of the generative process means to acknowledge oneself not to be the arbiter of the sources of human life, but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator. In fact, just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in general, so also, with particular reason, he has no such dominion over his generative faculties as such, because of their intrinsic ordination towards raising up life, of which God is the principle. "Human life is sacred," Pope John XXIII recalled; "from its very inception it reveals the creating hand of God."[13]______________________________________________________________

What is that first line saying? It means that forcing sex on one's marriage partner is a most serious breech of the most serious moral demands of love within the bonds of matrimony. Love is gift. Taking what is not freely offered is unloving on many levels and in many ways. It is relational. Love must be between two persons. It can be one sided love is one gives freely but the other takes selfishly. It can be one sided if one demands selfishly to give while the other receives freely,

One may not see the "likewise" connection right away, but when we think of love gift it becomes more clear. God offers the gift of conjugal love in marriage to man and woman. The gift package includes both aspects of the procreative and unitive. We deny the gift by denying any part and offend the Giver. If I offer my wife a gift of a dinner with me at a restaurant and she says she'll take the dinner but with someone else, then she has actually denied the gift. This is just one way of looking at the connection of procreative and unitive.




Contracepting ourselves to death

This article is just another example of the ill effects of contraception. Add biological to economical, spiritual, and social ill effects.

Contracepting the Environment

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Humanae Vitae 12


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


Union and Procreation

12. That teaching, often set forth by the magisterium, is founded upon the inseparable connection, willed by God and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning. Indeed, by its intimate structure, the conjugal act, while most closely uniting husband and wife, capacitates them for the generation of new lives, according to laws inscribed in the very being of man and of woman. By safeguarding both these essential aspects, the unitive and the procreative, the conjugal act preserves in its fullness the sense of true mutual love and its ordination towards man's most high calling to parenthood. We believe that the men of our day are particularly capable of seeing the deeply reasonable and human character of this fundamental principle.


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Men of our day are you particularly capable of seeing the deeply reasonable and human character of this fundamental principle?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Humanae Vitae 11


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968



Observing the Natural Law

11. The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one another, through which human life is transmitted, is, as the recent Council recalled, "noble and worthy.'' (11) It does not, moreover, cease to be legitimate even when, for reasons independent of their will, it is foreseen to be infertile. For its natural adaptation to the expression and strengthening of the union of husband and wife is not thereby suppressed. The fact is, as experience shows, that new life is not the result of each and every act of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws. Nonetheless the Church, calling men back to the observance of the norms of the natural law, as interpreted by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life. (12)


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This last statement is again so crucial I don't have adequate words right now to express it. It speaks for itself. When these encyclicals are translated into another language like English, the power of the statement is often felt more acutely by a better translation, just like different scripture translations have a different impact on the reader while either will mean the same thing. I used the translation I am used to for this last sentence. The one in the link to the Vatican is slightly different. I'd love to know what someone else might think of the different versions of the last sentence.

Now ask yourselves, is this true? Must each and every marriage act remain open to the transmission of life? Is it legitimate to reject life, or "disinvite" the One who creates life in our sexual union? Should any marriage act be closed to life?


Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Humanae Vitae 10


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968



Responsible Parenthood


10. Hence conjugal love requires in husband and wife an awareness of their mission of "responsible parenthood," which today is rightly much insisted upon, and which also must be exactly understood. Consequently it is to be considered under different aspects which are legitimate and connected with one another.

In relation to the biological processes, responsible parenthood means the knowledge and respect of their functions; human intellect discovers in the power of giving life biological laws which are part of the human person. (9)

In relation to the tendencies of instinct or passion, responsible parenthood means that necessary dominion which reason and will must exercise over them.

In relation to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised, either by the deliberate and generous decision to raise a numerous family, or by the decision, made for grave motives and with due respect for the moral law, to avoid for the time being, or even for an indeterminate period, a new birth.

Responsible parenthood also and above all implies a more profound relationship to the objective moral order established by God, of which a right conscience is the faithful interpreter. The responsible exercise of parenthood implies, therefore, that husband and wife recognize fully their own duties towards God, towards themselves, towards the family and towards society, in a correct hierarchy of values.

In the task of transmitting life, therefore, they are not free to proceed completely at will, as if they could determine in a wholly autonomous way the honest path to follow; but they must conform their activity to the creative intention of God, expressed in the very nature of marriage and of its acts, and manifested by the constant teaching of the Church." (10)

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Again, this section and the last are so crucial. The question of "responsible parenthood" should be the question of every parent, really every person. The world goes as the family goes and responsible parenthood is what sets the family on the right course. Oh how I wish every Christian, every person of good will could read, understand, and put into practice the teaching of the Church.

We exercise responsible parenthood when we prudently and generously decide to have more children. We exercise responsible parenthood when we prudently in obedience to God's designs decide to postpone or space children. What is the connection? Obedience, every aspect of responsible parenthood and responsible childhood demands obedience. All of humanity falls in either, or both of these two categories. As Adrian Rogers, a famous S. Baptist preacher would say, "you are free to choose, but you are not free not to choose."

Knowing that obedience is the key, everyone must ask themselves if this is truth or not. How do we keep a right order of priorities and recognize our duties to God? Does the Church actually make it clear in its teaching? At least examine what the Church actually says in regard to responsible parenthood. However, this Encyclical is about the responsible transmission of life, being only one aspect of responsible parenthood. "The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World", or Familiaris Consortio, speaks to other aspects of the Church's teaching about marriage and family. It is an Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Humanae Vitae 9


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968



Married Love

9. In the light of these facts the characteristic features and exigencies of married love are clearly indicated, and it is of the highest importance to evaluate them exactly.

This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment.

It is a love which 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 himself.

Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage. Though this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents difficulties, no one has the right to assert that it is impossible; it is, on the contrary, always honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves not only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage, but also that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness.

Finally, this love is fecund. It is not confined wholly to the loving interchange of husband and wife; it also contrives to go beyond this to bring new life into being. "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the procreation and education of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the highest degree to their parents' welfare." (8)


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This is the section that changed my life. I've enlarged the quote from Vatican II that spoke as clearly as my eyes had ever seen or ears had ever heard what my heart had known to its deepest capacity. Marriage and the love within that bond with all its various expressions are ordained by GOD, created to be, written as absolutely as the stars in heaven follow their courses, toward two ends - the procreation and education of children. And with that in mind we can trust in the fact, regardless of feeling or culture, that children are really the supreme gift of marriage.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Humanae Vitae 8


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

God's Loving Design

8. Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realize that it takes its origin from God, who "is love," the Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named."

Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the blind evolution of natural forces. It is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them alone, develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new lives.

The marriage of those who have been baptized is, in addition, invested with the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the union of Christ and His Church.

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This is the highest view of marriage in any faith, religion, or belief. Just as the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the highest view of the LORD's Supper, the Catholic Church has never waivered in its high teaching of the sanctity of marriage. This of course is where one must start to understand the high meaning of the transmission of life within marriage. If one reduces the meaning of marriage or the meaning of life it is doubtful he will reach the same conclusions about the transmission of life or procreation.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Humanae Vitae 7

II. DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES


7. The question of human procreation, like every other question which touches human life, involves more than the limited aspects specific to such disciplines as biology, psychology, demography or sociology. It is the whole man and the whole mission to which he is called that must be considered: both its natural, earthly aspects and its supernatural, eternal aspects. And since in the attempt to justify artificial methods of birth control many appeal to the demands of married love or of responsible parenthood, these two important realities of married life must be accurately defined and analyzed. This is what We mean to do, with special reference to what the Second Vatican Council taught with the highest authority in its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today.
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Friday, July 6, 2007

Humanae Vitae 6


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968


The Magisterium's Reply

6. However, the conclusions arrived at by the commission could not be considered by Us as definitive and absolutely certain, dispensing Us from the duty of examining personally this serious question. This was all the more necessary because, within the commission itself, there was not complete agreement concerning the moral norms to be proposed, and especially because certain approaches and criteria for a solution to this question had emerged which were at variance with the moral doctrine on marriage constantly taught by the magisterium of the Church.


Consequently, now that We have sifted carefully the evidence sent to Us and intently studied the whole matter, as well as prayed constantly to God, We, by virtue of the mandate entrusted to Us by Christ, intend to give Our reply to this series of grave questions.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Humanae Vitae 5


ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE REGULATION OF BIRTH
JULY 25, 1968

5. The consciousness of the same responsibility induced Us to confirm and expand the commission set up by Our predecessor Pope John XXIII, of happy memory, in March, 1963. This commission included married couples as well as many experts in the various fields pertinent to these questions. Its task was to examine views and opinions concerning married life, and especially on the correct regulation of births; and it was also to provide the teaching authority of the Church with such evidence as would enable it to give an apt reply in this matter, which not only the faithful but also the rest of the world were waiting for.

When the evidence of the experts had been received, as well as the opinions and advice of a considerable number of Our brethren in the episcopate—some of whom sent their views spontaneously, while others were requested by Us to do so—We were in a position to weigh with more precision all the aspects of this complex subject. Hence We are deeply grateful to all those concerned.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Humanae Vitae 4

HUMANAE VITAE

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON
THE REGULATION OF BIRTH

JULY 25, 1968


Interpreting the Moral Law

4. This kind of question requires from the teaching authority of the Church a new and deeper reflection on the principles of the moral teaching on marriage—a teaching which is based on the natural law as illuminated and enriched by divine Revelation.

No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law. It is in fact indisputable, as Our predecessors have many times declared, (l) that Jesus Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and the other Apostles and sent them to teach all nations His commandments, (2) constituted them as the authentic guardians and interpreters of the whole moral law, not only, that is, of the law of the Gospel but also of the natural law. For the natural law, too, declares the will of God, and its faithful observance is necessary for men's eternal salvation. (3)

In carrying out this mandate, the Church has always issued appropriate documents on the nature of marriage, the correct use of conjugal rights, and the duties of spouses. These documents have been more copious in recent times. (4)

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WOW! Does the Church have the justification to give an authoritative answer? It certainly accepts the demands of that responsibility. Some claim that the Church has reached out and grasped its authority. This is a mistaken claim. True authority can only be received from the Giver, the Author Himself. Even Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." When sending the disciples He said, "I give you authority". Authority can only be received.

It is tyranny that takes for itself the responsibility of authority without actually having been given the authority. In this way tyranny looks like authority in what it does but it is not authoritative. I could give numerous examples of tyranny assuming responsibility where it has no authority. The easiest to see would be the State assuming the responsibility for raising children.

It is a manly way to lead, embracing one's God given authority and ensuing responsibility. This responsibility to lead is inseparable to being like Christ, who is the Ultimate Head, leading responsibly in the spirit of truth and love.

What does genuine authority that doesn't embrace responsibility look like? The passive husband that lets his wife run the home. The passive father that lets his child do whatever the child wants. The passive Judge that allows criminals to go free. The passive Priest or even Bishop that does nothing to curb sin and error in the flock under his care. They have made themselves eunuchs and cease to be real men.

Real men know that their authority comes from a higher one and therefore, they must be first to lead in submission and humility. That is why the Church speaks to men in regard to this most serious issue of the transmission of life. MEN, listen!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Humanae Vitae 3

HUMANAE VITAE

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON
THE REGULATION OF BIRTH

JULY 25, 1968


New Questions

3. This new state of things gives rise to new questions. Granted the conditions of life today and taking into account the relevance of married love to the harmony and mutual fidelity of husband and wife, would it not be right to review the moral norms in force till now, especially when it is felt that these can be observed only with the gravest difficulty, sometimes only by heroic effort?

Moreover, if one were to apply here the so called principle of totality, could it not be accepted that the intention to have a less prolific but more rationally planned family might transform an action which renders natural processes infertile into a licit and provident control of birth? Could it not be admitted, in other words, that procreative finality applies to the totality of married life rather than to each single act? A further question is whether, because people are more conscious today of their responsibilities, the time has not come when the transmission of life should be regulated by their intelligence and will rather than through the specific rhythms of their own bodies.

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These are legitimate questions. These are the questions still asked today as 40 years ago. These are the questions that deserve and require authoritative answers. These questions are important because the transmission of life is so serious, as I stated in (1).

Has the time come to regulate birth by our intelligence and will? Does the use of the specific rhythms of our own bodies mean that we are not using our intellect or relinquishing our legitimate choices? What is the difference between using a form of artificial birth control and using natural planning methods?

Please continue to read Humanae Vitae each day and find out.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Humanae Vitae 2

HUMANAE VITAE

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON
THE REGULATION OF BIRTH

JULY 25, 1968


I. PROBLEM AND COMPETENCY OF THE MAGISTERIUM

2. The changes that have taken place are of considerable importance and varied in nature. In the first place there is the rapid increase in population which has made many fear that world population is going to grow faster than available resources, with the consequence that many families and developing countries would be faced with greater hardships. This can easily induce public authorities to be tempted to take even harsher measures to avert this danger. There is also the fact that not only working and housing conditions but the greater demands made both in the economic and educational field pose a living situation in which it is frequently difficult these days to provide properly for a large family.

Also noteworthy is a new understanding of the dignity of woman and her place in society, of the value of conjugal love in marriage and the relationship of conjugal acts to this love.

But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man's stupendous progress in the domination and rational organization of the forces of nature to the point that he is endeavoring to extend this control over every aspect of his own life—over his body, over his mind and emotions, over his social life, and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Humae Vitae 1

HUMANAE VITAE

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON
THE REGULATION OF BIRTH

JULY 25, 1968


To His Venerable Brothers the Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops and other Local Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See, to the Clergy and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World, and to All Men of Good Will.

Honored Brothers and Dear Sons, Health and Apostolic Benediction.

The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships.

The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings.

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Humanae vitae, means human life. For the next 31 days I am celebrating the most significant document of the 20th Century. This is the culmination of the 39th year and the beginning of the 40th of its release. I believe that a wave of converts will "cross the Tiber" as the children of Israel did the river Jordan after the 40 years in the wilderness. A generation has forsaken this gift to the Church, but a new springtime has come. Those who rejected humanae vitae embraced the "culture of death" and brought about a spiritual death, but God has kept a remnant that will lead the Church and the world to Life Himself. Jesus became human life so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

To all who may read this, take note that Pope Paul VI has directed this encyclical to MEN. In a day of gender confusion, with masculinity, femininity, celibacy, and marriage under assault, it is time for MEN to read these prophetic words and lead their families and the people of God into the Promise Land. Women need to read and understand how a real MAN should think and behave in this crooked and depraved generation.

SEX, the topic is sex. The transmission of human life is to take place in and only in the protective boundaries of marriage. To properly engage in the sexual union is to be a coworker with GOD. We have been set free by Christ to choose to embrace our spouse in a way that is responsible and pleasing to God. What a joy and gift we have in our sexuality! Yet, what a tremendous responsibility we have as well.

With the release of the contraceptive pill in the 1960's, one voice spoke out above all others as a clear, authoritative guide into truth and righteousness. I want to enter into that wisdom and hear again the voice of truth to me and understand better what God is saying to us right now.

Proverbs 2 RSV
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his saints.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart,and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you;understanding will guard you; delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil; men whose paths are crooked,and who are devious in their ways.

You will be saved from the loose woman,from the adventuress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death,and her paths to the shades; none who go to her come back nor do they regain the paths of life.

So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land,and men of integrity will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.