Honored Brothers
and Dear Sons,
Health and Apostolic Benediction.
The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married
people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has
always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes
entails many difficulties and hardships.
The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the
conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society
and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church
cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately
connected with the life and happiness of human beings.
I.
PROBLEM AND COMPETENCY
OF THE MAGISTERIUM
2. The changes that have taken place are of considerable importance and
varied in nature. In the first place there is the rapid increase in
population which has made many fear that world population is going to
grow faster than available resources, with the consequence that many
families and developing countries would be faced with greater
hardships. This can easily induce public authorities to be tempted to
take even harsher measures to avert this danger. There is also the fact
that not only working and housing conditions but the greater demands
made both in the economic and educational field pose a living situation
in which it is frequently difficult these days to provide properly for
a large family.
Also noteworthy is a new understanding of the dignity of woman and her
place in society, of the value of conjugal love in marriage and the
relationship of conjugal acts to this love.
But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man's
stupendous progress in the domination and rational organization of the
forces of nature to the point that he is endeavoring to extend this
control over every aspect of his own life—over his body, over his mind
and emotions, over his social life, and even over the laws that
regulate the transmission of life.
New Questions
3. This new state of things gives rise to new questions. Granted the
conditions of life today and taking into account the relevance of
married love to the harmony and mutual fidelity of husband and wife,
would it not be right to review the moral norms in force till now,
especially when it is felt that these can be observed only with the
gravest difficulty, sometimes only by heroic effort?
Moreover, if one were to apply here the so called principle of
totality, could it not be accepted that the intention to have a less
prolific but more rationally planned family might transform an action
which renders natural processes infertile into a licit and provident
control of birth? Could it not be admitted, in other words, that
procreative finality applies to the totality of married life rather
than to each single act? A further question is whether, because people
are more conscious today of their responsibilities, the time has not
come when the transmission of life should be regulated by their
intelligence and will rather than through the specific rhythms of their
own bodies.
Interpreting the Moral Law
4. This kind of question requires from the teaching authority of the
Church a new and deeper reflection on the principles of the moral
teaching on marriage—a teaching which is based on the natural law as
illuminated and enriched by divine Revelation.
No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is
competent in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law. It is
in fact indisputable, as Our predecessors have many times declared, (l)
that Jesus Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and
the other Apostles and sent them to teach all nations His commandments,
(2) constituted them as the authentic guardians and interpreters of the
whole moral law, not only, that is, of the law of the Gospel but also
of the natural law. For the natural law, too, declares the will of God,
and its faithful observance is necessary for men's eternal salvation.
(3)
In carrying out this mandate, the Church has always issued appropriate
documents on the nature of marriage, the correct use of conjugal
rights, and the duties of spouses. These documents have been more
copious in recent times. (4)
Special Studies
5. The consciousness of the same responsibility induced Us to confirm
and expand the commission set up by Our predecessor Pope John XXIII, of
happy memory, in March, 1963. This commission included married couples
as well as many experts in the various fields pertinent to these
questions. Its task was to examine views and opinions concerning
married life, and especially on the correct regulation of births; and
it was also to provide the teaching authority of the Church with such
evidence as would enable it to give an apt reply in this matter, which
not only the faithful but also the rest of the world were waiting for.
(5)
When the evidence of the experts had been received, as well as the
opinions and advice of a considerable number of Our brethren in the
episcopate—some of whom sent their views spontaneously, while others
were requested by Us to do so—We were in a position to weigh with more
precision all the aspects of this complex subject. Hence We are deeply
grateful to all those concerned.
The Magisterium's Reply
6. However, the conclusions arrived at by the commission could not be
considered by Us as definitive and absolutely certain, dispensing Us
from the duty of examining personally this serious question. This was
all the more necessary because, within the commission itself, there was
not complete agreement concerning the moral norms to be proposed, and
especially because certain approaches and criteria for a solution to
this question had emerged which were at variance with the moral
doctrine on marriage constantly taught by the magisterium of the Church.
Consequently, now that We have sifted carefully the evidence sent to Us
and intently studied the whole matter, as well as prayed constantly to
God, We, by virtue of the mandate entrusted to Us by Christ, intend to
give Our reply to this series of grave questions.
II.
DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES
7. The question of human procreation, like every other question which
touches human life, involves more than the limited aspects specific to
such disciplines as biology, psychology, demography or sociology. It is
the whole man and the whole mission to which he is called that must be
considered: both its natural, earthly aspects and its supernatural,
eternal aspects. And since in the attempt to justify artificial methods
of birth control many appeal to the demands of married love or of
responsible parenthood, these two important realities of married life
must be accurately defined and analyzed. This is what We mean to do,
with special reference to what the Second Vatican Council taught with
the highest authority in its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today.
God's Loving Design
8. Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when
we realize that it takes its origin from God, who "is love," (6) the
Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." (7)
Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of
the blind evolution of natural forces. It is in reality the wise and
provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect
in man His loving design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through
that mutual gift of themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them
alone, develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one
another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new
lives.
The marriage of those who have been baptized is, in addition, invested
with the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the
union of Christ and His Church.
Married Love
9. In the light of these facts the characteristic features and
exigencies of married love are clearly indicated, and it is of the
highest importance to evaluate them exactly.
This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It
is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive.
It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such
that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily
life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one
heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment.
It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal
friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything,
allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their
own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for
what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake,
content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself.
Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this
until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on
which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed
themselves to one another in marriage. Though this fidelity of husband
and wife sometimes presents difficulties, no one has the right to
assert that it is impossible; it is, on the contrary, always honorable
and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves not
only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage, but also
that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness.
Finally, this love is fecund. It is not confined wholly to the loving
interchange of husband and wife; it also contrives to go beyond this to
bring new life into being. "Marriage and conjugal love are by their
nature ordained toward the procreation and education of children.
Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the
highest degree to their parents' welfare." (8)
Responsible Parenthood
10. Married love, therefore, requires of husband and wife the full
awareness of their obligations in the matter of responsible parenthood,
which today, rightly enough, is much insisted upon, but which at the
same time should be rightly understood. Thus, we do well to consider
responsible parenthood in the light of its varied legitimate and
interrelated aspects.
With regard to the biological processes, responsible parenthood means
an awareness of, and respect for, their proper functions. In the
procreative faculty the human mind discerns biological laws that apply
to the human person. (9)
With regard to man's innate drives and emotions, responsible parenthood
means that man's reason and will must exert control over them.
With regard to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions,
responsible parenthood is exercised by those who prudently and
generously decide to have more children, and by those who, for serious
reasons and with due respect to moral precepts, decide not to have
additional children for either a certain or an indefinite period of
time.
Responsible parenthood, as we use the term here, has one further
essential aspect of paramount importance. It concerns the objective
moral order which was established by God, and of which a right
conscience is the true interpreter. In a word, the exercise of
responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right
order of priorities, recognize their own duties toward God, themselves,
their families and human society.
From this it follows that they are not free to act as they choose in
the service of transmitting life, as if it were wholly up to them to
decide what is the right course to follow. On the contrary, they are
bound to ensure that what they do corresponds to the will of God the
Creator. The very nature of marriage and its use makes His will clear,
while the constant teaching of the Church spells it out. (10)
Observing the Natural Law
11. The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and
chastely united with one another, through which human life is
transmitted, is, as the recent Council recalled, "noble and worthy.''
(11) It does not, moreover, cease to be legitimate even when, for
reasons independent of their will, it is foreseen to be infertile. For
its natural adaptation to the expression and strengthening of the union
of husband and wife is not thereby suppressed. The fact is, as
experience shows, that new life is not the result of each and every act
of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the
incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already
naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws. The
Church, nevertheless, in urging men to the observance of the precepts
of the natural law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine,
teaches that each and every marital act must of necessity retain its
intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life. (12)
Union and Procreation
12. This particular doctrine, often expounded by the magisterium of the
Church, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God,
which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive
significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent
to the marriage act.
The reason is that the fundamental nature of the marriage act, while
uniting husband and wife in the closest intimacy, also renders them
capable of generating new life—and this as a result of laws written
into the actual nature of man and of woman. And if each of these
essential qualities, the unitive and the procreative, is preserved, the
use of marriage fully retains its sense of true mutual love and its
ordination to the supreme responsibility of parenthood to which man is
called. We believe that our contemporaries are particularly capable of
seeing that this teaching is in harmony with human reason.
Faithfulness to God's Design
13. Men rightly observe that a conjugal act imposed on one's partner
without regard to his or her condition or personal and reasonable
wishes in the matter, is no true act of love, and therefore offends the
moral order in its particular application to the intimate relationship
of husband and wife. If they further reflect, they must also recognize
that an act of mutual love which impairs the capacity to transmit life
which God the Creator, through specific laws, has built into it,
frustrates His design which constitutes the norm of marriage, and
contradicts the will of the Author of life. Hence to use this divine
gift while depriving it, even if only partially, of its meaning and
purpose, is equally repugnant to the nature of man and of woman, and is
consequently in opposition to the plan of God and His holy will. But to
experience the gift of married love while respecting the laws of
conception is to acknowledge that 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. "Human life is sacred—all men must recognize that
fact," Our predecessor Pope John XXIII recalled. "From its very
inception it reveals the creating hand of God." (13)
Unlawful Birth Control Methods
14. Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and
Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare
that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun
and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are
to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of
children. (14) Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the
Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether
of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. (15)
Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of,
or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent
procreation—whether as an end or as a means. (16)
Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse
which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be
preferred to a greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with
procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity, and so be
qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these. 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 (18)—in other words, to intend directly something which
of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must
therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to
protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of
society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a
whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual
intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically
wrong.
Lawful Therapeutic Means
15. On the other hand, the Church does not consider at all illicit the
use of those therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even
if a foreseeable impediment to procreation should result there
from—provided such impediment is not directly intended for any motive
whatsoever. (19)
Recourse to Infertile Periods
16. Now as We noted earlier (no. 3), some people today raise the
objection against this particular doctrine of the Church concerning the
moral laws governing marriage, that human intelligence has both the
right and responsibility to control those forces of irrational nature
which come within its ambit and to direct them toward ends beneficial
to man. Others ask on the same point whether it is not reasonable in so
many cases to use artificial birth control if by so doing the harmony
and peace of a family are better served and more suitable conditions
are provided for the education of children already born. To this
question We must give a clear reply. The Church is the first to praise
and commend the application of human intelligence to an activity in
which a rational creature such as man is so closely associated with his
Creator. But she affirms that this must be done within the limits of
the order of reality established by God.
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.
Consequences of Artificial Methods
17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of
the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on
the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let
them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide
the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral
standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human
weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young,
who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law,
and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law.
Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows
accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence
due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional
equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction
of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he
should surround with care and affection.
Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this
power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care
little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government
which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire
country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by
married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who
will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive
methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as
necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well
happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family
or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law
and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of
public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and
intimate responsibility of husband and wife.
Limits to Man's Power
Consequently, unless we are willing that the responsibility of
procreating life should be left to the arbitrary decision of men, we
must accept that there are certain limits, beyond which it is wrong to
go, to the power of man over his own body and its natural
functions—limits, let it be said, which no one, whether as a private
individual or as a public authority, can lawfully exceed. These limits
are expressly imposed because of the reverence due to the whole human
organism and its natural functions, in the light of the principles We
stated earlier, and in accordance with a correct understanding of the
"principle of totality" enunciated by Our predecessor Pope Pius XII.
(21)
Concern of the Church
18. It is to be anticipated that perhaps not everyone will easily
accept this particular teaching. There is too much clamorous outcry
against the voice of the Church, and this is intensified by modern
means of communication. But it comes as no surprise to the Church that
she, no less than her divine Founder, is destined to be a "sign of
contradiction." (22) She does not, because of this, evade the duty
imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly the entire moral law,
both natural and evangelical.
Since the Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their
arbiter—only their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right
for her to declare lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its
very nature, is always opposed to the true good of man.
In preserving intact the whole moral law of marriage, the Church is
convinced that she is contributing to the creation of a truly human
civilization. She urges man not to betray his personal responsibilities
by putting all his faith in technical expedients. In this way she
defends the dignity of husband and wife. This course of action shows
that the Church, loyal to the example and teaching of the divine
Savior, is sincere and unselfish in her regard for men whom she strives
to help even now during this earthly pilgrimage "to share God's life as
sons of the living God, the Father of all men." (23)
III.
PASTORAL DIRECTIVES
19. Our words would not be an adequate expression of the thought and
solicitude of the Church, Mother and Teacher of all peoples, if, after
having recalled men to the observance and respect of the divine law
regarding matrimony, they did not also support mankind in the honest
regulation of birth amid the difficult conditions which today afflict
families and peoples. The Church, in fact, cannot act differently
toward men than did the Redeemer. She knows their weaknesses, she has
compassion on the multitude, she welcomes sinners. But at the same time
she cannot do otherwise than teach the law. For it is in fact the law
of human life restored to its native truth and guided by the Spirit of
God. (24) Observing the Divine Law.
20. The teaching of the Church regarding the proper regulation of birth
is a promulgation of the law of God Himself. And yet there is no doubt
that to many it will appear not merely difficult but even impossible to
observe. Now it is true that like all good things which are outstanding
for their nobility and for the benefits which they confer on men, so
this law demands from individual men and women, from families and from
human society, a resolute purpose and great endurance. Indeed it cannot
be observed unless God comes to their help with the grace by which the
goodwill of men is sustained and strengthened. But to those who
consider this matter diligently it will indeed be evident that this
endurance enhances man's dignity and confers benefits on human society.
Value of Self-Discipline
21. The right and lawful ordering of birth demands, first of all, that
spouses fully recognize and value the true blessings of family life and
that they acquire complete mastery over themselves and their emotions.
For if with the aid of reason and of free will they are to control
their natural drives, there can be no doubt at all of the need for
self-denial. Only then will the expression of love, essential to
married life, conform to right order. This is especially clear in the
practice of periodic continence. Self-discipline of this kind is a
shining witness to the chastity of husband and wife and, far from being
a hindrance to their love of one another, transforms it by giving it a
more truly human character. And if this self-discipline does demand
that they persevere in their purpose and efforts, it has at the same
time the salutary effect of enabling husband and wife to develop to
their personalities and to be enriched with spiritual blessings. For it
brings to family life abundant fruits of tranquility and peace. It
helps in solving difficulties of other kinds. It fosters in husband and
wife thoughtfulness and loving consideration for one another. It helps
them to repel inordinate self-love, which is the opposite of charity.
It arouses in them a consciousness of their responsibilities. And
finally, it confers upon parents a deeper and more effective influence
in the education of their children. As their children grow up, they
develop a right sense of values and achieve a serene and harmonious use
of their mental and physical powers.
Promotion of Chastity
22. We take this opportunity to address those who are engaged in
education and all those whose right and duty it is to provide for the
common good of human society. We would call their attention to the need
to create an atmosphere favorable to the growth of chastity so that
true liberty may prevail over license and the norms of the moral law
may be fully safeguarded.
Everything therefore in the modern means of social communication which
arouses men's baser passions and encourages low moral standards, as
well as every obscenity in the written word and every form of indecency
on the stage and screen, should be condemned publicly and unanimously
by all those who have at heart the advance of civilization and the
safeguarding of the outstanding values of the human spirit. It is quite
absurd to defend this kind of depravity in the name of art or culture
(25) or by pleading the liberty which may be allowed in this field by
the public authorities.
Appeal to Public Authorities
23. And now We wish to speak to rulers of nations. To you most of all
is committed the responsibility of safeguarding the common good. You
can contribute so much to the preservation of morals. We beg of you,
never allow the morals of your peoples to be undermined. The family is
the primary unit in the state; do not tolerate any legislation which
would introduce into the family those practices which are opposed to
the natural law of God. For there are other ways by which a government
can and should solve the population problem—that is to say by enacting
laws which will assist families and by educating the people wisely so
that the moral law and the freedom of the citizens are both safeguarded.
Seeking True Solutions
We are fully aware of the difficulties confronting the public
authorities in this matter, especially in the developing countries. In
fact, We had in mind the justifiable anxieties which weigh upon them
when We published Our encyclical letter Populorum Progressio. But now
We join Our voice to that of Our predecessor John XXIII of venerable
memory, and We make Our own his words: "No statement of the problem and
no solution to it is acceptable which does violence to man's essential
dignity; those who propose such solutions base them on an utterly
materialistic conception of man himself and his life. The only possible
solution to this question is one which envisages the social and
economic progress both of individuals and of the whole of human
society, and which respects and promotes true human values." (26) No
one can, without being grossly unfair, make divine Providence
responsible for what clearly seems to be the result of misguided
governmental policies, of an insufficient sense of social justice, of a
selfish accumulation of material goods, and finally of a culpable
failure to undertake those initiatives and responsibilities which would
raise the standard of living of peoples and their children. (27) If
only all governments which were able would do what some are already
doing so nobly, and bestir themselves to renew their efforts and their
undertakings! There must be no relaxation in the programs of mutual aid
between all the branches of the great human family. Here We believe an
almost limitless field lies open for the activities of the great
international institutions.
To Scientists
24. Our next appeal is to men of science. These can "considerably
advance the welfare of marriage and the family and also peace of
conscience, if by pooling their efforts they strive to elucidate more
thoroughly the conditions favorable to a proper regulation of births."
(28) It is supremely desirable, and this was also the mind of Pius XII,
that medical science should by the study of natural rhythms succeed in
determining a sufficiently secure basis for the chaste limitation of
offspring. (29) In this way scientists, especially those who are
Catholics, will by their research establish the truth of the Church's
claim that "there can be no contradiction between two divine laws—that
which governs the transmitting of life and that which governs the
fostering of married love." (30)
To Christian Couples
25. And now We turn in a special way to Our own sons and daughters, to
those most of all whom God calls to serve Him in the state of marriage.
While the Church does indeed hand on to her children the inviolable
conditions laid down by God's law, she is also the herald of salvation
and through the sacraments she flings wide open the channels of grace
through which man is made a new creature responding in charity and true
freedom to the design of his Creator and Savior, experiencing too the
sweetness of the yoke of Christ. (31)
In humble obedience then to her voice, let Christian husbands and wives
be mindful of their vocation to the Christian life, a vocation which,
deriving from their Baptism, has been confirmed anew and made more
explicit by the Sacrament of Matrimony. For by this sacrament they are
strengthened and, one might almost say, consecrated to the faithful
fulfillment of their duties. Thus will they realize to the full their
calling and bear witness as becomes them, to Christ before the world.
(32) For the Lord has entrusted to them the task of making visible to
men and women the holiness and joy of the law which united inseparably
their love for one another and the cooperation they give to God's love,
God who is the Author of human life.
We have no wish at all to pass over in silence the difficulties, at
times very great, which beset the lives of Christian married couples.
For them, as indeed for every one of us, "the gate is narrow and the
way is hard, that leads to life." (33) Nevertheless it is precisely the
hope of that life which, like a brightly burning torch, lights up their
journey, as, strong in spirit, they strive to live "sober, upright and
godly lives in this world," (34) knowing for sure that "the form of
this world is passing away." (35)
Recourse to God
For this reason husbands and wives should take up the burden appointed
to them, willingly, in the strength of faith and of that hope which
"does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us ~}36 Then let
them implore the help of God with unremitting prayer and, most of all,
let them draw grace and charity from that unfailing fount which is the
Eucharist. If, however, sin still exercises its hold over them, they
are not to lose heart. Rather must they, humble and persevering, have
recourse to the mercy of God, abundantly bestowed in the Sacrament of
Penance. In this way, for sure, they will be able to reach that
perfection of married life which the Apostle sets out in these words:
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church. . . Even so
husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes
and cherishes it, as Christ does the Church. . . This is a great
mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church; however, let
each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she
respects her husband." (37)
Family Apostolate
26. Among the fruits that ripen if the law of God be resolutely obeyed,
the most precious is certainly this, that married couples themselves
will often desire to communicate their own experience to others. Thus
it comes about that in the fullness of the lay vocation will be
included a novel and outstanding form of the apostolate by which, like
ministering to like, married couples themselves by the leadership they
offer will become apostles to other married couples. And surely among
all the forms of the Christian apostolate it is hard to think of one
more opportune for the present time. (38)
To Doctors and Nurses
27. Likewise we hold in the highest esteem those doctors and members of
the nursing profession who, in the exercise of their calling, endeavor
to fulfill the demands of their Christian vocation before any merely
human interest. Let them therefore continue constant in their
resolution always to support those lines of action which accord with
faith and with right reason. And let them strive to win agreement and
support for these policies among their professional colleagues.
Moreover, they should regard it as an essential part of their skill to
make themselves fully proficient in this difficult field of medical
knowledge. For then, when married couples ask for their advice, they
may be in a position to give them right counsel and to point them in
the proper direction. Married couples have a right to expect this much
from them.
To Priests
28. And now, beloved sons, you who are priests, you who in virtue of
your sacred office act as counselors and spiritual leaders both of
individual men and women and of families—We turn to you filled with
great confidence. For it is your principal duty—We are speaking
especially to you who teach moral theology—to spell out clearly and
completely the Church's teaching on marriage. In the performance of
your ministry you must be the first to give an example of that sincere
obedience, inward as well as outward, which is due to the magisterium
of the Church. For, as you know, the pastors of the Church enjoy a
special light of the Holy Spirit in teaching the truth. (39) And this,
rather than the arguments they put forward, is why you are bound to
such obedience. Nor will it escape you that if men's peace of soul and
the unity of the Christian people are to be preserved, then it is of
the utmost importance that in moral as well as in dogmatic theology all
should obey the magisterium of the Church and should speak as with one
voice. Therefore We make Our own the anxious words of the great Apostle
Paul and with all Our heart We renew Our appeal to you: "I appeal to
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you
agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be
united in the same mind and the same judgment." (40)
Christian Compassion
29. Now it is an outstanding manifestation of charity toward souls to
omit nothing from the saving doctrine of Christ; but this must always
be joined with tolerance and charity, as Christ Himself showed in His
conversations and dealings with men. For when He came, not to judge,
but to save the world, (41) was He not bitterly severe toward sin, but
patient and abounding in mercy toward sinners?
Husbands and wives, therefore, when deeply distressed by reason of the
difficulties of their life, must find stamped in the heart and voice of
their priest the likeness of the voice and the love of our Redeemer.
So speak with full confidence, beloved sons, convinced that while the
Holy Spirit of God is present to the magisterium proclaiming sound
doctrine, He also illumines from within the hearts of the faithful and
invites their assent. Teach married couples the necessary way of prayer
and prepare them to approach more often with great faith the Sacraments
of the Eucharist and of Penance. Let them never lose heart because of
their weakness.
To Bishops
30. And now as We come to the end of this encyclical letter, We turn
Our mind to you, reverently and lovingly, beloved and venerable
brothers in the episcopate, with whom We share more closely the care of
the spiritual good of the People of God. For We invite all of you, We
implore you, to give a lead to your priests who assist you in the
sacred ministry, and to the faithful of your dioceses, and to devote
yourselves with all zeal and without delay to safeguarding the holiness
of marriage, in order to guide married life to its full human and
Christian perfection. Consider this mission as one of your most urgent
responsibilities at the present time. As you well know, it calls for
concerted pastoral action in every field of human diligence, economic,
cultural and social. If simultaneous progress is made in these various
fields, then the intimate life of parents and children in the family
will be rendered not only more tolerable, but easier and more joyful.
And life together in human society will be enriched with fraternal
charity and made more stable with true peace when God's design which He
conceived for the world is faithfully followed.
A Great Work
31. Venerable brothers, beloved sons, all men of good will, great
indeed is the work of education, of progress and of charity to which We
now summon all of you. And this We do relying on the unshakable
teaching of the Church, which teaching Peter's successor together with
his brothers in the Catholic episcopate faithfully guards and
interprets. And We are convinced that this truly great work will bring
blessings both on the world and on the Church. For man cannot attain
that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his
spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved
in his very nature. These laws must be wisely and lovingly observed. On
this great work, on all of you and especially on married couples, We
implore from the God of all holiness and pity an abundance of heavenly
grace as a pledge of which We gladly bestow Our apostolic blessing.
Given at St. Peter's, Rome, on the 25th day of July, the feast of St.
James the Apostle, in the year 1968, the sixth of Our pontificate.
PAUL VI
NOTES
LATIN TEXT: Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 60 (1968), 481-503.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION: The Pope Speaks, 13 (Fall. 1969), 329-46.
REFERENCES:
(1) See Pius IX, encyc. letter Oui pluribus: Pii IX P.M. Acta, 1, pp.
9-10; St. Pius X encyc. letter Singulari quadam: AAS 4 (1912), 658;
Pius XI, encyc.letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 579-581; Pius XII,
address Magnificate Dominum to the episcopate of the Catholic World:
AAS 46 (1954), 671-672; John XXIII, encyc. letter Mater et Magistra:
AAS 53 (1961), 457.
(2) See Mt 28. 18-19.
(3) See Mt 7. 21.
(4) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Leo XIII,
encyc.letter Arcanum: Acta Leonis XIII, 2 (1880), 26-29; Pius XI,
encyc.letter Divini illius Magistri: AAS 22 (1930), 58-61; encyc.
letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 545-546; Pius XII, Address to
Italian Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi
di Pio XII, VI, 191-192; to Italian Association of Catholic Midwives:
AAS 43 (1951), 835-854; to the association known as the Family
Campaign, and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; to 7th
congress of International Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735
[TPS VI, 394-395]; John XXIII, encyc.letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53
(1961), 446-447 [TPS VII, 330-331]; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral
Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, nos. 47-52: AAS 58
(1966), 1067-1074 [TPS XI, 289-295]; Code of Canon Law, canons 1067,
1068 §1, canon 1076, §§1-2.
(5) See Paul VI, Address to Sacred College of Cardinals: AAS 56 (1964),
588 [TPS IX, 355-356]; to Commission for the Study of Problems of
Population, Family and Birth: AAS 57 (1965), 388 [TPS X, 225]; to
National Congress of the Italian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology:
AAS 58 (1966), 1168 [TPS XI, 401-403].
(6) See 1 Jn 4. 8.
(7) Eph 3. 15.
(8) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today, no. 50: AAS 58 (1966), 1070-1072 [TPS XI, 292-293].
(9) See St. Thomas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 94, art. 2.
(10) See Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in
the World of Today, nos . 50- 5 1: AAS 58 ( 1 966) 1070-1073 [TPS XI,
292-293].
(11) See ibid., no. 49: AAS 58 (1966), 1070 [TPS XI, 291-292].
(12) See Pius XI. encyc. letter Casti connubi: AAS 22 (1930), 560; Pius
XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843.
(13) See encyc. letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS VII,
331].
(14) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Pius XI,
encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 562-564; Pius XII, Address
to Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi, VI,
191-192; Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 842-843; Address to Family
Campaign and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; John
XXIII, encyc. letter Pacem in terris: AAS 55 (1963), 259-260 [TPS IX,
15-16]; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in
the World of Today, no. 51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293].
(15) See Pius XI, encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 565;
Decree of the Holy Office, Feb. 22, 1940: AAS 32 (1940), 73; Pius XII,
Address to Midwives: AAS 43
(1951), 843-844; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735
[TPS VI, 394-395].
(16) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Pius XI,
encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 559-561; Pius XII, Address
to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50
(1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]; John XXIII, encyc.letter Mater et
Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS VII, 331].
(17) See Pius XII, Address to National Congress of Italian Society of
the Union of Catholic Jurists: AAS 45 (1953), 798-799 [TPS I, 67-69].
(18) See Rom 3. 8.
(19) See Pius XII, Address to 26th Congress of Italian Association of
Urology: AAS 45 (1953), 674-675; to Society of Hematology: AAS 50
(1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395].
(20) See Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 846.
(21) See Pius XII, Address to Association of Urology: AAS 45 (1953),
674-675; to leaders and members of Italian Association of Cornea Donors
and Italian Association for the Blind: AAS 48 (1956), 461-462 [TPS III,
200-201].
(22) Lk 2. 34.
(23) See Paul Vl, encyc. letter Populorum progressio: AAS 59 (1967),
268 [TPS XII, 151].
(24) See Rom 8.
(25) See Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Media of Social
Communication, nos. 6-7: AAS 56 (1964), 147 [TPS IX, 340-341].
(26) Encyc. letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS VII, 331].
(27) See encyc. letter Populorum progressio, nos. 48-55: AAS 59 (1967),
281-284 [TPS XII, 160-162].
(28) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today, no. 52: AAS 58 (1966), 1074 [TPS XI, 294].
(29) Address to Family Campaign and other family associations: AAS 43
(1951), 859.
(30) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today, no. 51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293].
(31) See Mt 11. 30.
(32) See Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in
the World of Today, no. 48: AAS 58 (1966), 1067-1069 [TPS XI,290-291];
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 35: AAS 57 (1965), 40-41 [TPS
X, 382-383].
(33) Mt 7. 14; see Heb 12. 11.
(34) See Ti 2. 12.
(35) See 1 Cor 7. 31.
(36) Rom 5. 5.
(37) Eph 5. 25, 28-29, 32-33.
(38) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
nos. 35, 41: AAS 57 (1965), 40-45 [TPS X, 382-383, 386-387; Pastoral
Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, nos. 48-49: AAS 58
(1966),1067-1070 [TPS XI, 290-292]; Decree on the Apostolate of the
Laity, no. 11: AAS 58 (1966), 847-849 [TPS XI, 128-129].
(39) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
no. 25: AAS 57 (1965), 29-31 [TPS X, 375-376].
(40) 1 Cor 1. 10.
(41) See Jn 3. 17.
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