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Cardinal Speaks on Humanae Vitae and the "Civilization of Love"

By Tim Waggoner

QUEBEC CITY, August 6, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday, Quebec City Cardinal Marc Ouellet gave the opening homily for the 126th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Quebec City, addressing the "prophetic" teachings of Humane Vitae and calling for a "civilization of love."

Promulgated in 1968 by Pope Paul VI, the Papal Encyclical Humane Vitae proclaimed the paramount necessity of protecting life and family. Most famously and controversially, it condemned all forms of artificial contraception as being intrinsically evil.

"At forty years of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae and despite the cultural opposition to this Church teaching, we are called to revisit this document and to realize how prophetic it was and still is. It speaks of human love and openness to life.

"May we continue to grow in holiness on the personal level and to be present as a social body on the public scene, particularly by promoting the values of the family," said Cardinal Ouellet, highlighting in particular "the sacredness of human life from the moment of conception to the last breath of natural death."

The Encyclical also warned of the consequences society would suffer if offenses against life were permitted - a warning that has not been heeded by all.

"[Humanae Vitae] discards contraception as a threat for human love and a slippery slope towards demoralization of our society," said Cardinal Ouellet. 

"The message has not yet been truly received despite the confirmation that came from the evolution of the culture towards divorce, abortion, homosexuality and destruction of marriage and family. These sad consequences were foretold to some extent in the message of Humanae Vitae."

The Cardinal then spoke about the difficulties Canadians face in attempting to authentically live out the message of Humane Vitae, referring to the Governor General's polarizing decision to award Dr. Henry Morgentaler with the Order of Canada:

"It is not easy to embody those values in today's context, especially in Canada where the culture of death is making further steps of domination by rewarding publicly an activist of abortion."

The Primate of Canada concluded by calling for a renewal of faith in the face of the culture of death and a civilization founded on love.

"May our reaction to the sad events in the world not be of little faith but of a new faith commitment to hold firmly the Church's teaching on human life and love and to engage with courage the cultural challenges by promoting more strongly a culture of life and a civilization of love," said Cardinal Ouellet

Read the full homily here:

http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/convention_2008/addresses/opening_mass_ouellet.html

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