So can we use birth control or not?

Ella and James Preece are a Catholic couple living in Kingston Upon Hull in Yorkshire in the UK. This is our blog.

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Blogged by James Preece on 16th September 2009

On September 17th it will have been two months since Terry Prendergast, head of "Marriage Care" (which receives funding from the Catholic Church and whose patron is Archbishop Vincent Nichols) stood up and said that Marriage makes no difference to children. So far, Archbishop Vincent Nichols has seen fit to do nothing.

I can see why Archbishop Nichols would be happy with Marriage Care, after all, they make such handy leaflets on Catholic Marriage....

This leaflet is great because it successfully tackles difficult questions such as the Church's view on birth control...

Q. What about the Church’s view on birth control?

A. The Church states positively that one purpose of the gift of sexuality is for a couple’s love-making to be open to having children. The Church also recognises that couples want to make responsible decisions. Some further information for making decisions on family planning is offered in Section Three of this guide under the heading, ‘Catholics and Sex’.

Hmmm... "The Church also recognises that couples want to make responsible decisions." Ambiguous. So are we allowed to use birth control or not?

It says there is "further information for making decisions on family planning" in Section Three. Let's see what it says there...

Christians not only believe that sexual enjoyment strengthens a couple’s relationship but also that it is a gift for sharing in God’s ability to create new life. In the wedding ceremony, you will be asked to be faithful to each other in love and also to be ready to accept children as a gift from God. Equally you have the freedom to make responsible decisions about when to have children so as to be able to give them the love, care and attention they deserve.

Ah yes. Positively brimming with clear information on birth control... The phrase "avoiding the question" comes to mind. In fact it looks awfully like a deliberate attempt to make sure that those who intend to use contraception are not made to feel uncomfortable.

This marvellous leaflet can be found on the front page of the Marriage Care website.

You can download the full leaflet in all it's tedious glory here.

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Reader Comments

Maura Owens said...

Come on, be fair. Making 'responsible decisions' about family planning surely makes sense for every couple. Surely using Natural Family Planning methods is also making a responsible decision. I think you are being very unfair when you try to read something negative in to this phrase on the website.I sense a witch hunt here and question how charitable you are being...do you have an axe to grind? I have been helped by this organisation and was treated with true Christian kindness and non-judgemental understanding by one of their volunteers. Judge not and you shall not be judged.

James said...

Hi Maura,

The "axe" I have to grind is the tens of thousands of pounds that Marriage Care takes from the Catholic Church every year while comprehensively failing to uphold Catholic teaching.

The question in the leaflet is "What about the Church’s view on birth control?"

Where in that leaflet does it say anything even remotely resembling the Church rejects the use of artificial birth control?

Mark Dobson said...

The trouble is that saying "[t]he Church also recognises that couples want to make responsible decisions", whilst being entirely true, sounds as though the Church has, in effect, given up its teaching on the sinfulness of contraception. To the man on the street, a "responsible decision" is to use contraception, and the Church's condemnation of it is completely irrational and wicked.

It's also entirely true to say that Pope Benedict was in the Hitler Youth, but if you only said that, knowing the issues involved, you'd be sinning against charity.

The Church doesn't only recognise "that couples want to make responsible decisions", it exhorts them to, but teaches that contraception is not a responsible decision. Strange but true.

We don't need 'Catholic' charities to undermine authentic Catholic teaching, we've already got the whole human race on that job.

N.B.

"I think you are being very unfair"
"I sense a witch hunt"
"[I] question how charitable you are being"

It just doesn't make sense to say those things and then say "Judge not and you shall not be judged."

To the Blessed Virgin Prayer for England

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy "Dowry" and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee.

By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more.

Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross.

O sorrowful Mother! intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the supreme Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son.

Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home.

Amen.

Couple's Prayer

O God, our heavenly Father, protect and bless us. Deepen and strengthen our love for each other day by day.

Grant that by thy mercy, neither of us may ever say one unkind word to the other. Forgive and correct our faults, and make us constantly to forgive one another should one of us unconsciously hurt the other.

Make us and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in heart, and devout in spirit. O Lord, grant us each to rise to the other's best. Then, we pray thee, add to our common life such virtues as only thou canst give.

And so, O Father, consecrate our life and love completely to thy worship, and to the service of all about us, especially those whom thou hast appointed us to serve, that we may always stand before thee in happiness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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