Birth Control
BIRTH CONTROL
BASIC R.C. BELIEF The only lawful methods of birth control are rhythm and abstinence.
From A GUIDE TO CONFESSION by Francis Connell, C.SS.R. Imp. Bishop Busch. p. 26. “(The Holy Father) said that if a couple entered marriage with the intention (even on the part of one) of restricting the marriage right to certain days, the marriage would be null and void. He stated that the use of Rhythm for a serious reason is lawful; but the use of this systemn of limiting births without a serious reason is sinful. It would be a venial sin to do this for a brief time – for example, a few months or even two or three years. But it would seem to be a mortal sin to practice Rhythm for a long time, such as four or five years. Some reasons that people might allege for the use of Rhythm, which are not sufficient are: (a) they think that two or three children are enough for any couple; (b) They want to have a good time while they are young; (3) they wish to live in a fashionable section of the city where apartments are small.
Scriptures used to prove the Catholic position are Gen. 38:10; Tobit 6:16,17; 8:9
POST VATICAN II In his famed encyclical, HUMANAE VITAE, Pope Paul VI reiterated the Roman Catholic position against mechanical birth control. In spite of this, many Catholic women found this law intolerable, and there are priests who will give them absolution in spite of their using unlawful methods of birth control.
The formal announcement of Humanae Vitae was July 29, 1968
In a speech in early 1978, Pope Paul VI acknowledged that his 1968 encyclical had imposed “difficult demands” on Roman Catholics. He asked for “special attention” for those who have not been able to obey the directives of HUMANAE VITAE. New methods of birth control are of constant interest in Roman Catholicism.
In 1981, Archbishop Quinn said that 80% of the women in his diocese (San Francisco) had problems with HUMANAE VITAE, but he was told this was not up for discussion.
In 1982, in York, England, Pope John II seemed to sound a fresh note about birth control when he called for greater attention to “responsible procreation”, but in the next sentence he deplored “the spread of a contraceptive and anti-life mentality.”
SECDULAR JOURNALS From THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/24/86. “According to a survey conducted for the archdiocese of Miami, 64% of the respondents found artificial birth control generally acceptable. An archdiocesan spokesperson, Marsha Whelan, said of the survey, `My sense is that we are right in there … that, nationally, we fit in with how most Catholics think.