Summary: Here is an audio offering in which I read the post, here-under. Hopefully this will allow more people to absorb a few of my poor thoughts on this important anniversary. Let’s start with a taste of the text… there’s some mood setting music along the way, just to get the flavor of the times. __________ 1. Humanae vitae tradendae munus gravissimum, ex quo coniuges liberam et consciam Deo Creatori tribuunt operam, magnis semper ipsos affecit gaudiis, quae tamen aliquando non paucae difficultates et angustiae sunt secutae. Quod munus sustinere si omni tempore coniugum conscientiae arduas facessivit quaestiones, at recens humanae societatis cursus eiusmodi mutationes invexit, ut novae quaestiones sint exortae, quas Ecclesiae ignorare non liceat, utpote quae cum rebus conectantur, tantopere ad hominum vitam et felicitatem pertinentibus. The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships. The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings. Thusly, does Paul VI begin to teach in Humanae vitae. As we close in on the 40th anniversary of the death of Pope Paul VI, 8 August 1978, we observe today, 25 July, the 50th anniversary of Paul’s seventh and last, his boldest and most controversial, encyclical Humanae vitae. The Devil is at work in attacks on Humanae vitae. Be wary. When you read or hear someone undermining Humanae vitae you have encountered an agent of Hell. Be vigilant. The Enemy, like a roaring lion, is roaming about seeking whom he may devour. Resist the attacks of Hell, strong in our sure Faith. For those of you who struggle with the Church’s teaching, remember that through suffering you can come to glory, the glory to which Christ has called us. In your fidelity, Christ will strengthen you and ready you for heaven. Some of you younger readers might not have the background on Humanae vitae even though you know that in this encyclical, Paul VI affirmed the Church’s teaching about artificial contraception for the purposes of avoiding (ending?) pregancy. Remember that some contraceptives are really abortifacients. In 1963 John XXIII assembled a commission to study the question of artificial contraception in the light of modern times, developments, and questions. Oral contraceptives (abortifacients?) appeared in 1960. He did not want the issue discussed at Vatican II, even though the somewhat overly optimistic and rather too anthropocentric Gaudium et spes included a section on marriage. John died in 1963 and Paul was elected. He expanded the commission to 72, including physicians, women, bishops, cardinals, theologians. In 1966 the commission issued a majority report (64 of 69 voting members) and a minority report. The majority suggested to Paul that artificial birth control is NOT intrinsically evil and that couples could make their own decisions about using it. The minority included Americans, a Jesuit, Fr John Ford, and lay theologian Germain Grisez. Their report read in part: If contraception were declared not intrinsically evil, in honesty it would have to be acknowledged that the Holy Spirit in 1930, in 1951 and 1958, assisted Protestant churches, and that for half a century Pius XI, Pius XII and a great part of the Catholic hierarchy did not protect against a very serious error, one most pernicious to souls; for it would thus be suggested that they condemned most imprudently, under the pain of eternal punishment, thousands upon thousands of human acts which are now approved. Indeed, it must be neither denied nor ignored t[...]
