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By Rebecca Rakoczy
ATLANTA—“Humanae Vitae”: For Catholics who were
adults in the 1960s, the encyclical written by Pope Paul VI rocked their
church, much as did other directives of the Second Vatican Council in the same
decade.
Today, while many may not be aware of the origin of the 1968
document, its intent, which confirmed the church’s moral position on
artificial contraception, is now intrinsically linked with church teaching.
Recently on the 33rd anniversary of its publication, respect life
leaders, natural family planning advocates and clergy joined in conferences
July 20 and 21 entitled “‘Humanae Vitae,’ Life, Love and
Chastity,” to revisit and discuss the basic tenets of the document, which
has been both revered and denigrated inside and outside the church. During the
conferences, much was said about the need for self-discipline, chastity and
abstinence, as a guiding principle within—and outside of—marriage.
Bob and Cyndi Babecka, members of St. Joseph Church in Marietta,
along with Norma and Chuck Matthews of the Respect Life Committee of Holy Cross
Church, Atlanta, helped plan the event, which drew about 150 men, women and
children to Holy Cross on July 21. The preceding day a conference was held
specifically for priests and deacons to reflect on the document, particularly
as preachers.
Speakers both days included Father Matthew Habiger, OSB, past
chairman of Human Life International, Father Daniel McCaffrey, chairman of
Natural Family Planning Outreach, and Brian Murphy, Ph.D., physiologist.
The July 21 conference for the laity ended with a Mass celebrated
by Archbishop John F. Donoghue and concelebrated by Holy Cross pastor, Msgr.
Paul Fogarty, Father Serge Ward, vocations director of the archdiocese, Father
Habiger and Father Randall Mattox, parochial vicar at Holy Cross.
Deacons Whitney Robichaux and Thomas Silvestri assisted at the
Mass. Music during the Mass and conference was provided by singers from
throughout the archdiocese, directed by Ray Marino of the Cathedral of Christ
the King in Atlanta and Gail Goodwin of Holy Cross Church.
Even though it is more than 30 years old, “Humanae
Vitae,” which means “of human life,” still stirs controversy
today. The archbishop saw first-hand the rift it provoked within the church
when it was introduced.
“The birth of ‘Humanae Vitae,’ Pope Paul VI’s
definitive encyclical on the transmission of human life, was not accomplished
without pain and suffering,” Archbishop Donoghue told the congregation.
“I was chancellor of the Archdiocese of Washington at the
time, and as events unfolded within a few days, (of its publication) I realized
that the Church, both the Faithful and the Clergy, and that I myself, would
forever be changed by the publication of this momentous and decisive
document.”
At the time, there was already ongoing discussion about artificial
contraception and its relationship to church moral teaching on procreation and
respect for human life. When the encyclical was published, more than 60 priests
of the Archdiocese of Washington voiced their opposition to the document in The
Washington Post. Those priests were suspended from celebrating the sacraments,
the archbishop said. Some reevaluated their stance and were reconciled; others
did not. “It was undoubtedly one of the hardest moments (Cardinal Patrick
O’Boyle) had ever faced, and in assisting him at this difficult moment, it
was also a moment in time that changed me,” the archbishop said.
The teaching behind the document is still something both pastors
and lay people struggle to communicate and put into action, the archbishop
said.
Much of “Humanae Vitae” relies on respect and honor
between husband and wife that should be inherent in a marriage, as well as
abstinence as the best course for any relationship until marriage. The idea of
abstinence and chastity as a form of natural birth control is something most
churches embraced wholeheartedly in the past.
“All Christians before 1930 were in agreement on this issue
of chastity,” said Bob Babecka, who directed the conference.
The Babeckas’ own mission statement declares, “to
communicate the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexual morality to as many
members of the faithful as possible . . . We believe this message is essential
to save souls and to reverse the moral decline present in our society. This
decline is evidenced by abortion, promiscuity, and a lack of regard for
marriage as a sacrament.”
The archbishop echoed that theme in his homily, calling the
“pro-contraception movements” a part of the “evolving disregard
for the conception and generation of life . . . in large part, responsible for
even more outrageous acts against life in other phases of its existence.”
“Abortion and euthanasia, the front and back doors of the
house of the culture of death, have now opened to reveal rooms of more
insidious evil . . . eugenics, genetic engineering, cloning, embryonic stem
cell research — these are the inevitable progeny of man’s arrogant
assumption of the management of life.”
While these themes weren’t imagined when Pope Paul VI wrote
his encyclical, they still envelop the critical teachings of “Humanae
Vitae,” he said.
“Humanae Vitae is the blueprint for incorporating the will of
God into the life of Christian marriage,” said the archbishop. Pope Paul
VI writes, “Discipline imbues love with a deeper human meaning. Although
(self-control) requires continuous effort, it also helps the spouses become
strong in virtue and makes them rich with spiritual goods. And this virtue
fosters the fruits of tranquility and peace in the home and helps in the
solving of difficulties of other kinds. It aids spouses in becoming more tender
with each other and more attentive to each other. It assists them in dispelling
that inordinate self-love that is opposed to true charity. It strengthens in
them an awareness of their responsibilities. And finally it provides parents
with a sure and efficacious authority for educating their children.”
“The Church struggles still with the difficulties of putting
‘Humanae Vitae’ into practice,” the archbishop said, citing the
pastoral difficulties faced between confessors and penitents and the challenge
of counseling young couples who wish to limit the number of pregnancies in
their early marriage for one reason or another.
“Part of the reason we are here, is to pray for the guidance
of the Holy Spirit, as we attempt in our own time, to make this teaching a more
accepted and vital part of the Church’s ongoing life and mission,” he
said.
In closing, the archbishop entreated the congregation, “may
the example that you, our Catholic husbands and wives, set by the way you live
your own marriages, and above all, may the help of God we constantly implore,
reinvigorate in our local Church an awareness and appreciation for the great
gift of ‘Humanae Vitae,’ Pope Paul VI’s finest and most enduring
effort on behalf of the People of God, the Holy Catholic Church.”
“And may the fruits of tranquility and peace, harvested in
your hearts and your homes, by surrendering to the sharp sweetness of
God’s law, bring new life, new compassion, and new wisdom to the world
around us,” he concluded.
To find the complete text of “Humanae Vitae,” go to the
Vatican web site at www.vatican.va, choose the “Holy Father” site,
which includes a list of the popes. Choose Pope Paul VI and then click on
“encyclicals” to find the document. Or use a search engine and type
in “Humanae Vitae.” |
