Posted on 10/03/2008 8:05:10 AM PDT by Publius804
Pope reaffirms Church opposition to contraception
VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI on Friday reaffirmed the Catholic Church's condemnation of artificial birth control, a position that has driven millions of people away from the faith.
Contraception "means negating the intimate truth of conjugal love, with which the divine gift (of life) is communicated," the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics wrote on the 40th anniversary of a papal encyclical on the controversial topic.
The message came two months after an appeal for a retraction by some 60 Catholic groups who said the Church's stance had been "catastrophic" for the world's poorest and weakest.
The open letter in July by dissident Catholic bodies from countries including Britain, Brazil, Canada, France and the United States said the Church's opposition to birth control endangered women's lives and exposed millions of people to the risk of contracting AIDS.
It said the impact of the 1968 encyclical had been "disastrous in the southern hemisphere, where the Catholic leadership exercises considerable influence on the politics of family planning."
An encyclical is a letter usually treating some aspect of Catholic doctrine and issued occasionally by the pope.
The landmark document, whose title in English is "On the Regulation of Birth," was published at a time when the development of the Pill was giving new sexual freedom to women across the world.
Millions of Catholics distanced themselves from Rome as a result, while the clergy were divided on how to deal with such a document, covered as it was by the doctrine of papal infallibility.
The 81-year-old pope's message Friday to a seminar on the encyclical also reaffirmed that the rhythm method is an acceptable form of contraception for couples in "dire circumstances" who need to space their children.
(Excerpt) Read more at afp.google.com ...
I am curious. Is the prohibition on artificial birth control a dogmatic matter?
This is a very good point mary. In countries where there is private ownership of property along with individual civil rights, entrepreneurship, accountability, and responsibility, there is far less abject poverty. While there are “poor” in this country, the number who live in utter squalor is very small per capita than many other countries.
It is not to be thought that what is set down in Encyclical letters does not demand assent in itself, because in this the popes do not exercise the supreme power of their magisterium. For these matters are taught by the ordinary magisterium, regarding which the following is pertinent: “He who heareth you, heareth Me.” (Luke 10:16); and usually what is set forth and inculcated in Encyclical Letters, already pertains to Catholic doctrine. But if the Supreme Pontiffs in their acts, after due consideration, express an opinion on a hitherto controversial matter, it is clear to all that this matter, according to the mind and will of the same Pontiffs, cannot any longer be considered a question of free discussion among theologians.
—Humani Generis
“But if the Supreme Pontiffs in their acts, after due consideration, express an opinion on a hitherto controversial matter, it is clear to all that this matter, according to the mind and will of the same Pontiffs, cannot any longer be considered a question of free discussion among theologians.”
I am assuming that the declarations of Humanae Vitae are therefore in some position less than dogma but more than theologoumenna. Or are these declarations simply disciplinary in nature, like disciplinary canons?
Obviously, in Orthodoxy there is no such theological creature, but then again, not even an Ecumenical council, let alone any single hierarch, can make a canon, dogmatic or disciplinary, valid and binding unless the People of God approve by living out that canon. By Orthodox standards, the overwhelming rejection of the ban on artificial birth control by the laity would have by now resulted in its abrogation. In fact, continued insistence on the ban after that rejection would likely be condemned by the hierarchs for causing a scandal among the faithful and holding the Church up to ridicule and driving people from The Church.
I assure you that I understand that Rome doesn’t see it that way. This huge difference in the ecclesiology between the Eastern and Latin Churches poses real challenges for those who look for a reunion of the Latin Church with Orthodoxy and it is important that we recognize this.
With all respect, your point illustrates why a Vicar is necessary. Truth is not subject to the popular will. Think of the Chosen People in the Old Testament and the Golden Calf.
You contradict yourself. Some contraceptives are abortifacient in nature not to mention the additional adverse health risks they subject their users to.
I have a suggestion. Rather than continue making a fool of yourself, learn something about the topic before you continue opining on it.
“With all respect, your point illustrates why a Vicar is necessary.”
Really? Why is that? Within The Church, there are now two ways of dealing with dogmatic and disciplinary canons. Before the Great Schism, there was one...not one based on an infallible Vicar. The West changed, the East didn’t. The East preserved The Faith inviolate. The West suffered through and still suffers from the Reformation. The East never did.
“Truth is not subject to the popular will.”
Not popular will, N, of course not; the Truth is no more subject to popular will than it is to the will of a pope. The Truth is known by the People of God by the action of the Holy Spirit. The Laos tou Theou know when to declaim both “Axios” and “Anaxios”! That has always been true in in The Church in the East and was true everywhere within The Church until Rome broke away.
“Think of the Chosen People in the Old Testament and the Golden Calf.”
We are not the Chosen People of the OT, N.
By Orthodox standards, the overwhelming rejection of the ban on artificial birth control by the laity would have by now resulted in its abrogation.And you say:
We are not the Chosen People of the OT, N.Sadly you make the case for heresy. For a popular vote on Truth. For ignoring the basic Laws of Our Lord. That saddens me. I hope I have misunderstood terribly what you are trying to say.
If that is so, how is it that so many People of God believe things that are so simply and clearly condemned by God in His inerrant Word? Abortion, homosexuality, greed, selfishness are all rampant in this world though they are all condemned by the Word of God. I don't mean people who try to follow the Word and fail. I mean people who think these things are not sinful.
Exactly.
“I hope I have misunderstood terribly what you are trying to say.”
I’d say you have, N. BTW, nothing I have said, nor anything Orthodoxy has taught for the past 2000 years says anything about “popular vote”. In a religious context, that’s a thoroughly Western notion, one which developed in the 16th century in the face of the papacy’s “pay, pray and obey” regime.
“For ignoring the basic Laws of Our Lord.”
Orthodoxy ignores “the basic Laws of Our Lord”???????????????? Oh please! What you mean is that Orthodoxy spurns the basic diktats of the Bishop of Rome, something we have been doing for about 1000 years now. I’m sorry that saddens you. The presumptions of the papacy have saddened many Orthodox Christians. In the early 2Oth century, one of the most beloved of Orthodox saints, +Nektarios of Aegina, expressed his sadness this way:
“Through the dogma of “Infallibility” the Western church lost its spiritual freedom. It lost its beauty and balance, and was deprived of the wealth of the grace of the Holy Spirit, the presence of Christ- from spirit and soul ended up a dead body. We are truly grieved for the injustice done to the church and we pray from the bottom of our hearts that the Holy Spirit illumine the mind and the heart of the Most Blessed Pontiff to have him return to the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH that which he took from her, something that should never have taken place.”
Others were not so kind.
“Go roll your sleeves up and work with the poor....then get back to me as you help them bury the children who die of starvation.”
It’s not that simple. In every human society until recently, having lots of kids was what they did instead of social security.
A big family pitching in together can do a lot.
“I mean people who think these things are not sinful.”
If we were to hold the votes imagined by narses, and allowed anyone to vote, a la certain brands of protestantism, we’d have a problem...but we don’t. We also don’t allow a hierarch to declare what we are to believe or not believe.
It really is a shame what has happened to the laity in the Latin Church. Your role in The Church and responsibility as guardians of The Faith have been reduced to nothing.
“The road to socializm is paved with contraception, FRiend”
Yes, and one could also say that contraception is the first step on the road that ends with involuntary euthanasia.
“Your role in The Church and responsibility as guardians of The Faith have been reduced to nothing.”
IMO, the role of the laity has been exaggerated all out of proportion, and our responsibility as guardians of the Faith is heavier than ever.
“IMO, the role of the laity has been exaggerated all out of proportion,...”
Not the role per se, but rather a distortion of that role the roots of which lie in the protestant/Enlightenment mentality of the surrounding culture.
“our responsibility as guardians of the Faith is heavier than ever.”
I agree, though it would be a shame if you believe your responsibility is fulfilled by paying, praying and obeying without question.
“I agree, though it would be a shame if you believe your responsibility is fulfilled by paying, praying and obeying without question.”
I don’t think you could find a priest or deacon in this diocese who would accuse me of that.
I had a deacon tell me, “I don’t even want to talk to you,” though.
Waaa.
Do you mean there were no abject poor before 1930? Don’t know a whole lot about Mexico either.
USA largest consumer of Oral Contraception in the world also the highest incidence of breast cancer! When Pope Benedict XVI spoke at the UN hementioned the importance of Natural Order when supportin g the environment! He also mentioned the Natural order when respecting the innocent unborn! God Bless him!
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