Monday, June 11, 2018

Spirit & Life: Humanae Vitae – The Beauty of Marriage






As we approach the anniversary on Humanae Vitae, this week HLI President Father Shenan J. Boquet brings you the first part of a four-part special series on this Encylical's “four prophesies.” 

Meanwhile, Human Life International would like to request that you please join us in praying for Life in Argentina. On Wednesday, the lower house of the country’s legislature will be voting on whether to legalize a abortion. As you know, once the door is opened to the Culture of Death, there is no turning back. We invite you to learn more here.

And now, we continue with this week's Spirit & Life . . .

These days, many people tend to interpret any prohibition whatsoever as a repressive encroachment upon their personal autonomy. Not only is this wrong-headed, but it is completely self-defeating. While some prohibitions can be unjust and repressive, many others are true and just. Not only are these not repressive, they are in fact liberating. Just as mastering the rules of perspective allowed Raphael to paint his

[Wikipedia image]
masterpiece, 
The School of Athens, so too can mastering the moral laws allow us to create the ultimate masterpiece of a virtuous life. On the other hand, to contravene or seek to “transcend” those rules does not lead to more freedom: it leads only to anarchy and misery.

When Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical Humanae Vitae on July 25, 1968, the world immediately interpreted it as a gigantic “no.” At a time when the whole world was ecstatically embracing the new forms of artificial contraception – especially the seemingly miraculous birth control pill – many, including a large percentage of Catholics, looked to the Church to change its teachings to align with technological and so-called societal progress.

Instead, it seemed to many, that Pope Paul VI stubbornly turned his back on progress. According to this interpretation, Humanae Vitae is, quite simply, the encyclical that refused to allow Catholics the freedom to use contraception. Or more bluntly, it is the encyclical that has kept the Church . . .

Sincerely yours in Christ, 
Father Shenan J. Boquet 
President, Human Life International
Human Life International
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