1. Contraception and the Church’s Position
Humanae Vitae
Contraception and the Church’s Position

2. Contraception
In order to understand the Church’s teaching on contraception, as taught in Humanae Vitae (1968), Latin for ‘of Human Life,’ one must understand the Church’s teaching on marriage.
“Marriage was instituted by God as a lifetime community of man and woman who give themselves totally”; “Marriage must reflect not only love but also fruitfulness”, just as Christ remained true, faithful, and fruitful to His Church through the Holy Spirit (p.98).

3. Love-Giving and Life-Giving
The love between a husband and a wife is fully expressed or consummated through sexual intimacy.
Sexual intimacy indicates a communion of persons who care for and work toward the betterment of the other spouse; think AGAPE.
Hence, the sexual act is both love-giving and life-giving. Love-giving since both spouses mutually share their deep and abiding love for one another through sex, and life-giving because the sexual act is intrinsically oriented toward new life.

4. Natural vs. Artificial Contraception
Natural contraception refers to ‘responsible parenthood’ in which the spouses time or space their children due to economic or practical concerns based upon the biological rhythms of the woman's menstrual cycle, aka, NFP.
Artificial contraception refers to the intentional (willful) and knowledgeable (intellectual) contravening of the natural, biological processes inherent in the sexual act, either through medications, or external prophylactics.

5. Natural vs. Artificial Contraception
Both natural and artificial means of contraception achieve the same end, yes?
Yes.
Therefore, both natural and artificial contraception are both morally permissible, yes?
No, sorry.
Well….why? After all, if the ends are the same, what do the actions (means) which produced the effects matter in the grand scheme of things?
Because one indicates or tangibly and symbolically shows that love and life are inextricably related in marriage while the other does not. One says “Yes!” to life; the other says “No!”

6. And this is why…
Pope Paul VI, contrary to the council of theologians et. al., took the minority opinion and reaffirmed the following:
Pope Pius XI’s teaching concerning the inviolability of the procreative act in Casti Connubi (1930).
Magisterium’s infallibility in matters of morality, therefore indicating ultimate authority in adjudicating such matters; trustworthiness.
Reasonable analysis of conjugal act shows quite clearly a procreative dimension, naturally speaking, and cannot be divorced from the Church’s natural theology.
In other words, Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Church’s ‘official position’.

7. Contrariwise
The ‘majority’ opinion, i.e., the majority of the Pope’s inquiry council and lay Catholic faithful affirmed the use of artificial contraceptives by arguing the following:
Evolving moral conceptions. E.g., Early Church fathers justified sex in marriage only as a means to procreate; later, this evolved to include unitive/enjoyment of sex (as in the case of sterile women), and later evolved into a recognition that procreative value of sex is not solely tied to each individual act of intercourse.
Another example: Usury; 16th century.

8. Contrariwise
Also, changing the traditional teaching of the Church would not necessarily undermine magisterial authority and infallibility.
Accepting artificial contraception, however, would indicate a step toward “a more mature comprehension of the whole doctrine of the Church
Lastly, natural-law theory includes medical interventions which are seen as helping or aiding one’s overall well-being; why not artificial contraception which can reasonably be argued to increase and maintain the well-being of spouses?
Marital principle of totality,

9. Pope Paul VI Predicted Future?!
Pope Paul VI stated clearly in Humanae Vitae (1968) that if the principle of totality were taken as the norm and artificial contraception were allowed, then we could possibly see an increase in:
Conjugal infidelity.
General lowering of morality.
Easy corruption of youth
Loss of respect for women; objectification.
Has this happened?? Is this solely or even due to artificial contraception or not??

10. Reaction to Humanae Vitae (1968)
Negative. Even though Bishops and the teaching authority of the Church accepted the Church’s official position, many decided to accentuate the unconditional love of God, freedom of conscience, and varying culpability of using artificial contraception. Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his Theology of the Body ( ), further expanded and added a comprehensive, ‘adequate’ anthropology to the Church’s official teaching principally by using the language of GIFT. I.e., Our sexuality is a gift from God; we give ourselves to others and receive their entire person by fully recognizing and respecting God’s gifts of unity and procreation via the conjugal act.

11. Here be the Deal-y-o
LIFE! To say “Yes!” is to leave open the possibility of life each time you have sex with your spouse.
Using condoms, pills, other devices is tantamount to an unequivocal “no” to life.
However, those who use artificial contraception are not divorced from the Church's unflagging care and love but are encouraged to more fully understand their motives behind their free reproductive choices.