Celebrate teachings of Humanae Vitae

When the pope speaks on faith and morals, Catholics must obey

By FR. ANTHONY O’RIORDAN
Special to the WCR

The 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae ought to be a time of celebration for the Church. Regrettably, when one realizes the moral devastation that has resulted from the rejection of this constant and formal teaching, there is little cause for celebration.

Statistics show that the vast majority of Catholics (more than 80 per cent) either favour or practise the use of artificial contraception. We have either ignored or rejected the Church to whom Christ said, “He who hears you hears me and he who rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:16).

The negative consequences of the contraceptive mentality are truly appalling. Once openness to life is divorced from sexual activity, the criterion by which we judge other forms of deviant sexual behaviour fall apart.

Thus, we see today widespread acceptance of homosexual activity, common-law living, etc. It is the genesis of the culture of death that has led to abortion and the denigration of human life. Many of the pills that are taken today are not contraceptive but abortifacient which has led to the death of countless unborn infants.

Also, it is not a coincidence that the havoc in marriages today has resulted from the acceptance of artificial birth control.

The correlation between this acceptance and the spread of divorce is not mere chance especially when one considers that those who follow the Church’s teaching as outlined in Humanae Vitae have a divorce rate under five per cent.

Joy and grace

Married love never separates the unitive and procreative natures of the marital act. With true married love come the joy and graces which God showers upon those who live lives conformed to his will.

It can no longer be denied that the major cause of familial disintegration and cultural decay is the use of contraceptives. The Creator’s plan for human sexuality has been widely rejected. In the past, we the pastors of the Church gave the lame excuse, “follow your conscience” without stressing that conscience needs to be informed and formed — that is, that artificial contraception is an intrinsic moral evil that cannot be engaged under any circumstances.

It has also led to countless objective sacrileges when couples receive Holy Communion with no intention of giving up the practice of contraception. It invalidates the absolution given in the sacrament of Confession when there is no purpose of amendment.

The question now arises: What do we do after 40 years of silence from the pulpit on Humanae Vitae?

• First, the Winnipeg statement of September 1968 needs to be withdrawn. The faithful need to be informed that when the pope speaks on faith and morals, they are bound by divine obligation to obey.
• • A pastoral letter needs to be promulgated in each diocese that would endorse the circumstances by which the method of natural family planning could be used, while at the same time highlighting the wisdom of the Church’s teaching.

The pendulum has swung too far from our traditional and moral heritage and it needs to be returned to the vital centre of its arc.

(Father Anthony O’Riordan is director Ephphatha House, north of Stony Plain.)

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