The Catholic Point of View on the Regulation of Births from Reflections on Humanae Vitae by Pope John Paul II

The most familiar of the Council documents relating to marriage and the family is The Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes). Part Two, Chapter I. Highly instructive, also, is Chapter IV of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, (Lumen Gentium). containing specific mention of the married couple and the family. The consistent and correct understanding of marriage as a sacrament and the ensuing Catholic married life is basic to the correct interpretation of these documents.

We have studied Pope John Paul II's reflections on Humanae Vitae directly in the English edition of issues of L'Osservatore Romano from July 16 to December 3, 1984. However, the reflections are now published in book form by the Daughters of St. Paul and should be available from any Catholic bookstore. The document On Human Life (titled On the Regulation of Birth, which is Humanae Vitae itself) may be obtained from the Office of Publishing Services, United States Catholic Conference, 1312 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, or from the Daughters of St. Paul, 50 St. Paul's Ave., Jamaica Plain. Boston, MA 02130. N.B. We have found consistently that official documents and papal writings are often clearer and easier to understand than commentaries written to explain them. Commentaries or reductions even such as this one should motivate the reader to go to the sources. In line with this attitude, we further recommend: The Vatican Declaration on Sexual Ethics (1975). This document, emanating from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is a sort of companion piece to Humanae Vitae, identifying correct behavior for the unmarried. This was published some years ago by Our Sunday Visitor Press. We suggest first writing to the U.S. Catholic Conference's Office of Publishing Services or the Daughters of St. Paul. (Addresses above.) The Daughters of St. Paul (address above) have published portions of Pope John Paul II's multi-year, multi-faceted series on the theology of the body. We cannot recommend these books highly enough. The Apostolic Exhortation The Community of the Family (Familiaris consortio) (1981). Educational Guidance in Human Love. Outlines for Sex Education (1983).