Humanae Vitae 16

HUMANAE VITAE

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.