However to summarize, the Church distinguishes between the natural law (i.e. the natural cycle of fertility with its inherent infertile periods) and artificial means of preventing contraception. It also emphasizes the virtue of self-discipline implicit in the practice of periodic continence.
A quote from the above encyclical:
"If therefore there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from external circumstances, the Church teaches that married people may then take advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile, thus controlling birth in a way which does not in the least offend the moral principles which We have just explained. (20)
Neither the Church nor her doctrine is inconsistent when she considers it lawful for married people to take advantage of the infertile period but condemns as always unlawful the use of means which directly prevent conception, even when the reasons given for the later practice may appear to be upright and serious. In reality, these two cases are completely different. In the former the married couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature. In the later they obstruct the natural development of the generative process. It cannot be denied that in each case the married couple, for acceptable reasons, are both perfectly clear in their intention to avoid children and wish to make sure that none will result. But it is equally true that it is exclusively in the former case that husband and wife are ready to abstain from intercourse during the fertile period as often as for reasonable motives the birth of another child is not desirable. And when the infertile period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express their mutual love and safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this they certainly give proof of a true and authentic love."
Thank you. I am somewhat understanding of the Catholic view. I have read some, and watched a presentation on the local Catholic channel.
However, and I don’t mean to be disrespectful, in my opinion if I accept the premise on which the prohibition of birth control is based, the exception for the use of natural rythms is inconsistent with that premise.
I see it as an understandable “line of demarcation” which allows the teaching to have effect, by giving an easy way out so people can obey the rule. If the rule was too hard, everybody would break it.