Fr Derek Anton

An article appeared recently in a daily newspaper (Trinidad Guardian, March 31) under the title: “Making sense of church decline”. The columnist stated that all relation to (Church) authority changed after the papal decision on birth control in the sixties.

He was referring of course, to the Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae - On the Regulation of Birth, issued on July 25, 1968.

Humanae Vitae, dealing as it does with the sanctity of life, teaches that “each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life” (A.11), that teaching being “founded upon the inseparable connection…between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning.” (A.12)

This Papal Letter spoke of married couples being collaborators of God in “the most serious duty of transmitting human life” (A.1) and that in the task of transmitting life, husband and wife “are not free to proceed completely at will…but they must conform their activity to the creative intention of God…” (A.10)

The teaching allowed that where there are “serious motives” it is lawful to regulate birth using what we now call Natural Family Planning – whereby the couple enters into the conjugal act during the infertile periods only, taking into account “the natural rhythms immanent in the generative functions.” (A.16)

The Encyclical disallowed as unlawful other ways of regulating birth, including in relation to the conjugal act, “every action which…proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible” (A.14), thus re-affirming the Catholic Church’s teaching against artificial contraception.

The columnist opined that “(w)hat that landmark event did was to convince countless numbers of Catholics that the pope wasn’t always right, that one could disagree, remain within the citadel of conscience, and still be Catholic.”

Perceiving a consequential effect on other beliefs, the author referred to the erosion in the belief that missing Mass on Sunday was a mortal sin, how that resulted in a decline of numbers, and concludes that the significance of this “disconnect” lies “in its contribution to the accumulation of continued (continuing?) collateral effects, ie the church was wrong on birth control; wrong here too; and what else?” and that “(t)he cumulative effect of all this has been a displacement of authority…”  

There is no doubt as to the significance of this teaching and that there was, and is, opposition to it. But it is debatable whether many Catholics do indeed think the Church is wrong, or whether, without really having a full appreciation of it, they simply just find this teaching too difficult to comply with.

I have no statistics, but it is widely perceived that many Catholic couples do not adhere to this teaching of the Church. Pope Paul VI admitted that this teaching “which promulgates the divine law, will easily appear to be difficult or even impossible of actuation. And indeed…it demands serious engagement and much effort…” (A.20) It requires the help of God – but with his help, all is possible!

Pope Paul advised that one could even better be convinced “of the solid grounds on which the teaching of the Church in this field is based” by reflecting on the consequences of methods of artificial birth control.

And so he proposed for our consideration “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.”

He warned that “it is also to be feared that the man, growing used to the employment of anti-contraceptive 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.” (cf A.17)

Can we not look at the way we have lived over the last 40 years and see that the Pope’s words were prophetic? The fact is that the Pope and the Church was, and is, right in the teaching against artificial contraception.

As Catholics, we are called to believe in the teaching authority of the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. At times, certain teachings may prove more difficult to accept than others, but accept we must.

There was a time in the life of Jesus when he told the people: “Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life…For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink…” Many of his followers said: “This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?”

He knew that some did not believe and “(h)e went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him’. After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.” (cf Jn 6:52-66).

Indeed, many may have fallen away from total fidelity to the Church regarding her teaching in Humanae Vitae. And yes, if in the practice of my faith I compromise in relation to one area (artificial contraception), then it becomes easier to compromise in other areas as well. But that is not being Catholic.

There is need for a return to total fidelity: When Jesus asked the twelve if they wanted to go away as well, Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6: 68-69) And is Jesus not in his Church today?

Perhaps, in the past, the Church could have done more in explaining this teaching. Understanding brings acceptance, and acceptance brings more faithful practice.

In more recent times there is additional material available to assist in elucidating this important teaching of the Church, including the concept of the “Theology of the Body” of Pope John Paul II which is more easily accessible through, for example, the presentations by Christopher West in his Created and Redeemed DVD series.

There is also the lecture by Janet E Smith, Contraception: Why Not, in which she explores the issues and consequences of living in a contraceptive culture. In addition, Natural Family Planning is taught at preparation sessions for marriage in the Church, and information on this can be obtained through the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission.

There is another familiar event in the Gospels when two of the disciples are on their way to Emmaus (cf Lk 24:13-35). After Jesus left them they said to each other: “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?” (v 32)

Apparently, they already had knowledge of the scriptures but their belief was incomplete (cf v25). The Lord explains these scriptures to them - they now understand and they are filled with zeal.

They experience an encounter with the risen Lord, recognising him in the breaking of bread, and set out right away and share their story with the others. If only we Catholics can come to a better understanding of our faith, and come to more fully encounter Jesus, we can all be as zealous in living our faith and setting out to spread the Good News.

The time has long come for a better understanding of the Church’s teaching on birth control, as well as in other areas of the faith, of which many of the faithful are either unaware or unclear. This is an urgent challenge for all pastors of souls.