Catholic Churchs View on Contraception
The issue of contraception has been an extremely controversial and debated one in the Catholic Church. The Catholic religion declares that the three requirements for healthy sexual expression include a mutual physical drive for pleasure, intimacy and committed love between the couple, and the openness to procreation and parenting children. This last aspect is the subject of much disagreement between people both inside and outside the church community. The authoritative voice of the church, the Magisterium, holds that artificial contraception is a sin and only accepts the form of contraception called Natural Family Planning. This method involves avoiding sexual intercourse during certain times of the month and will be explained in more detail shortly. There are situations which are argued should be exceptions, such as rape, a family who already has children and can afford no more, and the overall health of the couple involved in the sexual relationship. The viewpoint of the Church is an old one, but the Magisterium claims that it will not change anytime soon. There are many different types of contraception available. Type one classified contraception includes barrier methods such as condoms, diaphragms, the cervical cap
After all this information about the background of contraception and the controversial stance of the Church, the reader may be wondering what will happen in the future. There has been great opposition to the current adamant position the Church holds about the serious sinfulness of artificial contraception. Father Philip Sumner sums up how many Catholic families feel by saying, "The Church can make statements about contraception, but nobody cares about it. Many people have given up looking to the Church in terms of contraception." (Ward T002). Many people see hope in reform in the near future despite the insistence by the Church that these decisions are final. One nun has even made headlines by resigning her sisterhood and devotion to God because of her disagreement with the way Church has dealt with these issues. Sr. Lavinia Byrne explains her position by stating "I am resigning because of the pressure from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith... the burden has become intolerable. They are using techniques that seem to belong to mother age and are behaving like the Inquisition. I feel bullied. (Malcolm 8). There are several reasons why the present teaching can be changed however. Firstly, the teaching of Humanae Vitae is not infallible, but is only a part of Catholic tradition. Natural law determines a large portion of teachings throughout time and as the way society works changes, the teachings of the Church move with it. There is no "pure nature" and there is always room for change and this could lead to a change of teaching. Also, the Church, in the past, followed many practices that seem ridiculous today such as slavery, indulgences, and persecution of women. The culture that these practices were in changed, and thus, so did the stance of the Church. This has set a precedent that is expected to be followed. Contraception has been termed a mortal sin, but this would require a grave matter, full knowledge of seriousness of what you are doing, and sound consent of mind and will. The questionable aspect is the gravity of the sin. The faithful members of the Church community have, for the most part, rejected the current teaching. Even those Catholics who are extremely religious use contraceptives, and usually for very good reason. An alarmingly high percentage of Catholics use artificial birth control, and very few agree with the Church on the evil involved with contraception. Malcolm, Teresa. "'Bullied' By Vatican, Nun to Leave Order" National Catholic Reporter 21 Jan. 2000: 8-9. Catholic Church: Pope John Paul II. Familiaris Consortio. Boston: Daughters of St. Paul; 1981. St. Thomas Aquinas was a key religious figure of the Scholastic Period. He was the first to publicly discuss the goodness of sexuality with reason. He stressed the use of one's conscience to determine what is right and wrong. He, as well, agreed that sexuality and marriage should have its main purpose as procreation. Although Aquinas held the beliefs of many former theologians, there was more leniency towards sexual pleasure. Pope Boniface IX resigned the papacy in order to marry in 1045. In 1074, Pope Gregory VII made it necessary for anyone being ordained to take an oath of celibacy. The extremity of this was seen in 1095 when Pope Urban II sold the wives of priests into slavery and left all children of them abandoned. The First Lateran Council took place in 1123, where Pope Calistus II found all clerical marriages to be officially invalid. This council was supported in the Second Lateran Council. The Renaissance was quickly approaching and literature and art were beginning to stress procreation in relationships. The Council of Trent, from 1543-1563, declared that celibacy and virginity were superior to marriage. St. Alphonsus Ligouri, a doctor of the church, was one of the first to state that an important part of marriage was a means for sexual expression. Ward, Stephen. "Society: Birth Control: Ba
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Approximate Word count = 3036
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)
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