Commemorating Humanae Vitae

From the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life

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Dear Family and Life Warriors,

In the 60’s, due to the sexual revolution, problems of overpopulation and economics had arisen, making it needful for Paul Paul VI to address the issues of birth control. Pope Paul VI took a stand on July 25, 1968 in an encyclical known as Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life).

[This year, we will be celebrating the 43rd anniversary of Humanae Vitae (HV) with various activities in the Catholic Church, beginning tomorrow July 19, (Schedules as outlined further below this page,
after the highlights of HV)]

Highlights of HV are as follows:
1) "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents."

2) “Married love is a very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, without undue reservations or selfish calculations. Whoever truly loves his marriage
partner loves not only for what he receives, but for the partner's self, rejoicing that he can enrich his partner with the gift of himself."

3) “… one is not the master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the Creator. Just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in general, so also, and
with more particular reason, he has no such dominion over his specifically sexual faculties, for these are concerned by their very nature with the generation of life, of which God is the source.”

4) It is held that the sexual act must "retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life", and the "direct interruption of the generative process already begun" is unlawful.  Abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, is absolutely forbidden, as is sterilization, even if temporary. Similarly, every action specifically intended to prevent procreation is forbidden. All these are held to directly contradict the moral order.

5) Therapeutic means which induce infertility are allowed, if they are not specifically intended to induce infertility. Natural Family Planning are allowed, since they take advantage of "a faculty provided by nature."

6) The dangers of artificial methods of contraception are outlined: by allowing sex without consequences, moral standards would fall.

Our Mother Church will celebrate HV's 43rd year, with the following activities:

A. July 19, simultaneous CBCP Humane Vitae Forums at the Adamson University Gym and USTChapel. 2PM;

B. July 25:
1) 7AM Mass by Bp Tobias, at the St Peter's Church in Commonwealth Ave, QC. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed after until 5PM;

2) 9AM Mass by Bp Pabillo, in Santuario de San Jose, Greenhills to be followed by a Soul of the State of the Nation Address at the Club Filipino.

LET THIS BE A WEEK OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF OUR LEGISLATORS AGAINST THE ANTI-LIFE BILLS (RH AND DIVORCE).

May God, the Author of life, bless all our efforts. And may Mary, Queen of the Family and Mediatrix of All Grace, protect all human life.


Blessings and prayers,

Rev. Fr. Melvin Castro

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Just one reaction...

The Vincentians are not against HUMANAE VITAE?!?!?!

SVST is this true?!?!?!