Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Pope: ‘Responsible parenthood’ doesn’t mean birth control

Pope: ‘Responsible parenthood’ doesn’t mean birth control

Last updated on: January 19, 2015 at 7:15 pm by CNA Daily News

Pope: ‘Responsible parenthood’ doesn’t mean birth control 2015-01-19T19:15:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Aboard the papal plane, Jan 19, 2015 / 12:15 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis backed Blessed Paul VI's teaching against birth control and urged openness to life, but reminded couples that “responsible parenthood” does not require them “to be like rabbits” in order to be good Catholics.

"I believe that openness to life conditions the sacrament of matrimony. A man cannot give the sacrament to the woman, and the woman give it to him, if they are not in agreement on this point to be open to life," Pope Francis said.

During a Jan. 19 press conference aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 8010, two of 10 questions posed to Pope Francis referred to population growth and birth control.

Asked by a German journalist if the Church would open up to birth control as a means of population control and limiting poverty, he said that the openness to life of a married couple means "responsible parenthood."

"The key word … and the one the Church always uses, and I do too, is 'responsible parenthood.' How do we do this? With dialogue," said Pope Francis.

He said that each person should work with his pastor to carry this out. He said later that Churches have marriage groups, experts and pastors, adding, "I know so many ways out there that are licit and that have helped this."

The Pope illustrated an example of "irresponsibility": a pregnant woman he met recently, already with seven children, each born by caesarean-section.

"But does she want to leave seven orphans?" he asked. "This is to tempt God."

Her response could be, "No, I trust in God," added Pope Francis.

"But God gives you methods to be responsible," he continued. "Some think that, and excuse the word, in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits."

"No, responsible parenthood," he repeated emphatically.

Pope Francis’ words harken back to the 1968 encyclical Humanae vitae, in which Bl. Paul VI writes that it is “licit to take into account the natural rhythms immanent in the generative functions” in order to space children for “serious motives,” such as physical or psychological health, among other factors.

The Church supports Natural Family Planning – natural methods of spacing children which involve abstinence from sexual intercourse during a woman’s fertile period, without the use of drugs, devices, and surgical procedures. In this way, human sexuality and fertility are respected rather than suppressed.

In a separate question, the Pope said that in rejecting the use of birth control, Bl. Paul VI "gave us something more."

"The refusal of Paul VI was not only to the personal problems … but, he was watching the universal Neo-Malthusianism that was in progress," said the pontiff.

He said you can recognize this phenomenon today in places like Spain and Italy, where the birth rate has plummeted to little more than one child per woman.

Pope Francis previously decried low birth-rates in Italy during his Dec. 28 meeting with large families, calling on political and public leaders to offer support for parents with many children.

The drastically low birth rates are a sign of Neo-Malthusianism, the Pope stressed to journalists on the plane, through which "powers have sought to control humanity.”

But, this also "doesn't mean that the Christians must make children serially," he added.

"What I want to say was that Paul VI was not more antiquated, closed minded. No, he was a prophet who with this said to watch out for the Neo-Malthusianism that was coming," he concluded.

During his trip to the Philippines, Pope Francis praised the words of Paul VI in supporting Church teaching on sexuality and openness to life.

"He was a good pastor, and he warned his sheep about the wolves that were approaching, and from the heavens he blesses us today," Pope Francis said.

Vatican

Previous Post

January 19, 2015

Africa, South America trips in Pope's sights for next two years

Next Post

January 19, 2015 Kids in poor countries suffer when West pushes sex agenda, Pope says

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into what farming tool?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Sickles Hoes Scythes Pruning hooks