Replies

It's really quite useless trying to convince the Latins that NFP is a form of contraception.

What is really mystifying is that our Catholic Moral Theology handbooks explicitly call it birth control and contraception.

Catholic moral theology handbooks written by whom? Calling NFP birth control is legit. Calling it contraception would be hard to square with this:
Pope John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, #80-81. "With regard to intrinsically evil acts, and in reference to contraceptive practices whereby the conjugal act is intentionally rendered infertile, Pope Paul VI teaches: 'Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it' (cf. Rom 3:8)...
"In teaching the existence of intrinsically evil acts, the Church accepts the teaching of Sacred Scripture. The Apostle Paul emphatically states: 'Do not be deceived: neither the immoral, nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor robbers will inherit the Kingdom of God'(1 Cor 6:9-10)."

Or with this, from the CCC: "The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle...involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality." (quoting Humanae Vitae)

Perhaps the handbook to which you are referring is merely careless in its its language. On the other hand, we could be looking at a deliberate attempt to undercut the Church's teaching against contraception by intentionally confusing contraceptive practices with sexual abstenance.

There are plenty of Catholic theology books, written by people like Richard McBrien and others with great sounding credentials, who intentionally promote heresy.

Calling it contraception would be hard to square with this: Pope John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, #80-81. "With regard to intrinsically evil acts, and in reference to contraceptive practices whereby the conjugal act is intentionally rendered infertile, Pope Paul VI teaches: 'Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it' (cf. Rom 3:8)

How would properly calling this a contraceptive sexual practice be hard to square with a statement about committing an evil act. Is the NFP an evil act?

Catholic moral theology handbooks written by whom? Calling NFP birth control is legit. Calling it contraception would be hard to square with this:

Another lawful means of family limitation is "periodic continence" or "rhythm," the deliberate avoidance of conception by restricting intercourse, temporarily or permanently, to the days of natural sterility on the part of the wife. Many of the faithful are under the impression that the system has received the unqualified approval of the Church, that it constitutes a form of "Catholic Birth-Control." This is not completely true. (Para. 2622 in MORAL THEOLOGY, JOHN A. McHUGH, O.P. And CHARLES J. CALLAN, O.P., REVISED AND ENLARGED BY EDWARD P. FARRELL, O.P., 1958)

contraception - noun, the intentional prevention of pregnancy; the use of contraceptives (Concise Oxford Dictionary)

contraceptive - adj. & noun, adj. preventing pregnancy, noun, contraceptice device or drug

birth control - noun, the control of the number of children one conceives, esp. by contraception

birth control pill - noun, the contraceptive pill

"avoidance of contraception" = contraception = birth control =/= artificial contraception =/= artifical birth control.

You are creating a distinction in words which does not exist in language. Hence "artifical contraception" and "artificial birth control". Thus in the previously cited text, this sentence:

"Those who have not been spoiled or misled by contraceptive propaganda or advice, instinctively regard artificial birth-control as well as onanism with disgust. (ibid, 2621)