By Deacon Anthony Cassaneto
The encyclical, “Humanae Vitae,” celebrates its 55 anniversary this year. On july 25, 1968, Pope St. Paul VI signed the encyclical, affirming traditional church moral teachings on the sanctity of life and the procreative and unitive nature of conjugal relations. Instead of being received with open arms, there was dissension within the church and among the laity regarding the message of life.
The 1960s were the most tumultuous and divisive decade in world history. The era was marked by the civil rights movement, the vietnam war and antiwar protests, and countercultural movements.
Moreover, freedom and change dominated the mind-set of society. Families, for example, became less structured, family ties loosened, parents became more permissive, and young people rejected many of the social, economic, and political values of their parents’ generation, and advocated changes in sexual norms.
“Humanae Vitae” was the first encyclical that the laity publicly voiced its dissension regarding the church’s teaching on artifical contraception. Development organizations and others claimed that the teaching limits the methods available to fight worldwide population growth and the HIV/AIDS crisis.
The messenger was courageous, the message timely, but the fatherly outreach to young families fell on deaf ears and hardened hearts. It was reported that many self-identified catholics used artificial means of contraception, whereas very few families used natural family planning methods.
Fertility awareness since the 1960s have given rise to natural family planning organizations such as the billings ovulation method, couple to couple league and the creighton model fertility care system which actively provide formal instruction on the use and reliability of natural methods of birth control. Unfortunately, many young couples were skeptical that they would prevent a pregnancy and disregarded this alternative.
The journalist John L. Allen, Jr wrote in 2008 “Three Decades of Bishops” appointments by Pope St. John Paul II and the late Benedict XVI, unambiguously were committed to Humanae Vitae’s message on the precious gift of life.
Pope St. John Paul II, for example, published a number of documents supporting Humanae Vitae. In 1978 a series of lectures entitled theology of the body highlighting such topics as, “an original unity between man and woman,” “purity of heart,” “marriage,” and “celibacy.” His holiness likewise had reflections on Humanae Vitae, focusing largely on reponsible parenthood and marital chastity.
In 1981 his apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, restated the church’s opposition to artificial birth control.
Some thirteen years later, his holiness readdressed the same issues in Humanae Vitae in his encyclical, Veritatis Splendor. Specifically, his holiness condemned the practice of artificial contraception as an act not permitted by Catholic teaching in any circumstances.
His holiness quoted Humanae Vitae as a Compassionate Encyclical. He stated, “Christ has come not to judge the world but to save it, and while He was uncompromisingly stern towards sin, He was patient and rich in mercy towards sinners.”
The late Pope Benedict XVI was another advocate and supporter of “Humanae Vitae.” His holiness stated that the church continues to reflect “in an ever new and deeper way on the fundamental principles that concern marriage and procreation. The key message of Humanae Vitae is love. His holiness stated that the fullness of a person is achieved by a unity of soul and body, but neither spirit nor body alone can love, only the two together. If this unity is broken, then only the body is satisfied, love becomes a commodity.”
The late Benedict XVI remarked that Pope St. Paul VI was a good pastor who warned his flock of the wolves who were coming.”
Today, like the 1960s, if we view the church and its teachings as rigid and unreasonable because it places laws above human circumstances, then we fail to see the church, the body of christ, as a sacred place of refuge for those struggling to walk the path to holiness of life. If we could set aside the worldly values for a moment, and come to know the church as a community of faithful disciples on journey together with the lord god. He loves each one of us and wants us to be happy. Happiness comes with being at peace with our god and with each other.
Hopefully, this short presentation on the encyclical “Humanae Vitae” shows the Chuch’s compassion and mercy. For all who are called by God to live a married life, the Lord is journeying with you throughout life. He sanctions the union of man and woman and desires that they love each other and enjoy the fruits of their love—their children.
In the chaotic world of power, prestige, and in a society that at times seems godless, let’s be the Face of Christ for each other—the Christ who listens to us, the Christ who grieves with us, and the Christ who heals us with His compassion and mercy.
