Human Life International is proud to announce the publication of our full “Clergy Pledge of Assent to Humanae vitae” which we would like every Catholic bishop, priest, deacon and seminarian in the world to sign! It is a veritable manifesto of priestly love for our beloved Magisterium, doctrine and priesthood.
In the face of a whole generation of silence and dissent to this most critical of all papal encyclicals, HLI is endeavoring to form a new generation of assent, both from the ranks of the existing clergy and among those who are studying for Holy Orders.
It is our desire and purpose to tell the world that we will not be silent about this encyclical or its teaching. Nor will we stand by idly when Pope Paul VI’s predictions of cultural and spiritual degradation are manifesting themselves around us in broken marriages, devastated families and pernicious immorality.
We believe that the Catholic clergy has a large part to play in turning this situation around, and only a full, conscious and active promotion of the teachings of this encyclical by the clergy will be a force for change in our present culture of death.
I encourage all bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians to kindly sign the Pledge by clicking the button below and then feel free to print out a copy of the Pledge and distribute to as many other clergy and seminarians as possible.
We, the generation of assent to Humanae vitae, will let our voices be heard!
Fraternally,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, President
Human Life International
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Clergy Pledge of Assent to Humanae vitae
Beloved priest sons, by vocation you are the counselors and spiritual guides of individual persons and of families….Your first task—especially in the case of those who teach moral theology—is to expound the Church's teaching on marriage without ambiguity [Pope Paul VI, Humanae vitae, ¶28-29].
In the face of lamentable clerical dissent and silence from the promulgation of the papal encyclical, Humanae vitae, on July 25, 1968, I, as an ordained Roman Catholic Bishop, Priest, Deacon [or Seminarian preparing for the sacred ministry] pledge to
…humbly acknowledge the divine authority of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, and the teaching authority of His Vicar, the Roman Pontiff, and those bishops united with him, especially in the areas of faith and morals;
…wholeheartedly support the sacrament and the institution of holy matrimony, which engenders a love between man and woman that is human, total, faithful, exclusive and fruitful [¶9];
…proclaim and affirm that, in Humanae vitae, Pope Paul VI prophetically predicted that the use of contraceptives would lead to the following:
- Conjugal infidelity and a general lowering of morality;
- Men losing respect for their wives, considering them mere instruments of selfish enjoyment and no longer respected and beloved companions;
- Government imposition of contraception as population control on vulnerable populations; and
- Men claiming limitless dominion over the human body [¶17].
…observe that all of these prophecies have been fulfilled in our modern age, particularly in the Western world;
…condemn the separation of the unitive and the procreative aspects of the conjugal act, facilitated by sterilization, contraception, abortion, in vitro fertilization homosexuality and other intrinsically evil acts [¶12, 14];
…encourage the use of the natural methods of fertility regulation, where serious reasons (iustae causae) exist, which are moral, safe and effective, which promote healthy family life, and which facilitate communication between husband and wife [¶16];
…create an atmosphere favorable to the practice of the most important virtue of “mastery of self” and of chastity for both married and unmarried people [¶21-22]; and
…teach the people entrusted to my pastoral care all that this great encyclical holds as true and holy.
Finally, I pledge support for the principles outlined in Humanae vitae, not only for the good of the Catholic faithful, but for the good of families and nations everywhere.
