PHOENIX, July 26, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, one of the most courageous bishops in the United States, notes in a recent column in the diocesan paper, The Catholic Sun, that “The use of contraceptives, of course, is always morally evil and many of them have harmful side effects as well.”Â
The teaching comes in light of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, celebrated July 24 – 30, 2005. This special event was begun several years ago by the American Academy of NFP (now American Academy of FertilityCareTM Professionals) and is promoted by the Diocesan Development Program for NFP (DDP), a program of the Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities.
Beyond the death of a newly conceived human embryo which can occur with hormonal contraceptives, and beyond the harm to the mother that can ensue, Bishop Olmsted explains that artificial contraception harms the relationship between husband and wife.“To love totally in marriage means not withholding the fertile part of being a man or woman; that is, the wife gives all of her femininity and the husband gives all of his masculinity,” explains the bishop reflecting on the Theology of the Body expounded by the late Pope John Paul II.Â
“Should one or both resort to contraception, they would be withdrawing their fertility from the giving. They would not be giving their all,” he continued.“Such action not only makes procreation impossible (preventing cooperation with God in life-giving love) but also damages the bonds of love (harming the love-giving end). It is no surprise that many marriages are weak because of the use of contraception. Every time that a married couple uses contraception they withhold love from one another. The marital embrace then becomes solely focused on pleasure and is not the self-giving, unifying, and potentially fruitful act that God created it to be.”
Turning to NFP, the bishop wrote, “Does that mean that married couples must have as many children as possible? Not at all. In fact, by God’s design the marital embrace cannot always be fertile. The woman’s cycle goes through times of both fertility and infertility. In light of this God-given fact, spouses can plan their families by taking into account the fertile or non-fertile times.”
The July dates for the NFP awareness week were chosen to highlight the anniversary of the encyclical Humanae vitae (July 25).
Also picking up on the theme was St. Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke. Writing on the 1968 Encyclical Humanae Vitae, Archbishop Burke notes in a column in the diocesan paper the St. Louis Review that, “Thirty-seven years have passed since Pope Paul VI addressed the teaching of Christ to what must be called a universal crisis of marriage life and love, namely the widespread acceptance of the use of artificial contraception within the conjugal union.”
Burke explains that Paul VI, “cautioned about the breakdown of respect between a man and woman in marriage which is caused by the use of artificial contraception. He expressed especially his fear about the loss of the due respect for women which would result. He also noted the negative effect of the breakdown of observance of the moral law, especially among the young who are more easily tempted in such matters. What is more, he cautioned about the use of artificial contraception by political powers as a solution to what they view as national or international difficulties.”
See the columns by Bishop Olmsted and Archbishop Burke:
https://www.diocesephoenix.org/bishop/homilies/Self-GivingLove-HumanaeVitae-Pt2.htm
https://www.stlouisreview.com/abpcolumn.php
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