As numerous popes have made clear, couples who shun the temptation of contraception and follow the Church’s teachings on what St. Pope John Paul II called “responsible procreation,” open themselves up to a myriad of blessings. The most obvious is that couples who opt for natural family planning are far less likely to get divorced. Were this the one and only benefit, it would be sufficient reason to recommend the practice.
In Humanae Vitae, however, Pope Paul VI lists a host of other benefits. The use of periodic continence, he begins, has “the salutary effect of enabling husband and wife to develop to their personalities and to be enriched with spiritual blessings.” This practice, he said, “brings to family life abundant fruits of tranquility and peace.”
It also, he added, 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…
