National Catholic Reporter on Humanae Vitae
Posted by: tony on 07/30/2008 04:05 PM
Updated by: tony on 07/30/2008 04:05 PM
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Expires: 08/30/2008 12:00 AM
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As we pass the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical, Humanae Vitae (of human life), the National Catholic Reporter weighs in:
Catholics might recall another 1968 defining moment, the July 29 encyclical called Humanae Vitae, literally "Of Human Life." The encyclical was a sensitively written expression about the sanctity of marital love and the need to nurture life in marriage. But whatever else it stated, it has been remembered for only one thing: the upholding of the Catholic church’s ban on birth control.
Well, that was exactly how it was presented by publications like the National Catholic Reporter and other secular media outlets. NCReporter has long since ceased being an authentic Catholic publication.
Less than a decade after the encyclical’s promulgation, polls showed it was overwhelmingly rejected by Catholics. Eight out of 10 adult U.S. Catholics simply disregarded it. While bishops were largely upholding the document, many priests in pastoral settings, including confessionals, were saying it was a matter for individual conscience.
This was the party line that was read to me when I was getting married in 1985. One of the priests at my Pre-Cana conference explained that in the matter of artificial birth control, we were to use our "consciences". But unfortunately, the good father did not feel it was necessary to inform our consciences in a meaningful (and authentically Catholic) way. So the admonition to "follow our consciences" was a "churchy" way of saying "do whatever you want".
Such cowardice was common when I was growing up. Priests did not want to offend parishioners (especially wealthy parishioners) lest they leave that parish for more "enlightened" venues. That cowardice on the part of that parish priest contributed to my living in unrepentent sin for many years, the scars of which (even after confession), I still bear. I have long since forgiven that priest. God set me on the path I have been following for a reason, which may or may not become apparent before I meet my maker.
By any measure, a gulf between official church teachings and Catholic practice had begun to grow and was to continue to grow and to permeate a host of other Catholic teachings on sexuality and morality from homosexuality to the use of condoms in the fight against the HIV virus. The right of women to have special say in reproduction, then an almost exclusively male terrain, was soon added to the list.
I'm sure that the Reporter editorial team didn't mean to reference the prophetic writings of Paul VI, but he predicted these evils. By being allowed to reject the Church's teaching on artificial birth control, the pandora's box was opened for the following (which are described in an Orwellian, "Ministry of Truth" manner):
- The disordered inclination of homosexuality gained wider acceptance, even to the point that people are talking about homosexual "marriage".
- The use of condoms to "fight the AIDS virus", when it was the prolific use of condoms and the libertine sexual morality that followed it that caused the almost pandemic spread of the AIDS virus.
- "The right of women to have a special say in reproduction". This wins the prize for the most innocuous sounding euphamism for killing one's child in the womb.
C'mon, NCReporter, if you're working for Satan, own it. Tell it like it is. But then I guess you guys have Uncle Screwtape on your editorial board, don't you.
Research conducted by sociologist Fr. Andrew M. Greeley found that the encyclical so shook Catholics that by itself, it would have reduced religious practice by almost one-half. That decline never fully occurred, and the reason it did not, Greeley found, was the favorable impact the Second Vatican Council was having on the lives of most Catholics.
The Church's job is not to "get with the times", it is "preach unpopular truth". If it reduced religious practice by half, so be it. If you are not going to live the Catholic truth, why should you bother to go to church and worship a God you are disobeying, on a daily basis.
But a huge problem with Humanae Vitae was that the truths of the encyclical were not transmitted at the parish level gently and insistently with the help of the Holy Spirit.
One of the impacts of the implementation of the Second Vatican Council, was to blur the distinction between church discipline and God's unchanging Truth. People in the pews (myself included) figured that after Vatican II anything goes. It would be just a matter of time before the Church changed the rules on artificial birth control. We wondered what happened to all the souls in hell because they ate meat on Friday. Did they all get a "get out of hell free card"?
Humanae Vitae is God's Truth. It is transformative for couples if it is given a chance. But to do so, you have to focus less on your material posessions, and look to God to provide what you need. After all, we pray to God "give us this day our daily bread", not "give us enough bread to put some away for the future".
(Tip of the hat to Father Z., whose learned commentary is worth a look.)
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