Reconsidering Church Teaching on Birth Control
Friday, Feb. 19, 2021
Pastor emeritus of St. Vincent de Paul Parish
In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued a major document rejecting artificial birth control titled Humanae Vitae (“On Human Life”), thereby creating a virtual firestorm in the Catholic Church. Most Catholics (including priests) rejected the document outright. (It is said that Paul VI never recovered from the onslaught of criticism he received after issuing Humanae Vitae).
Church teaching on artificial birth control continues to be rejected today by a great majority of Catholics. The matter is very rarely mentioned in Confession, and priests (including myself) are very shy of ever mentioning it in homilies.