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 . . .
