ENCYCLICAL LETTER Honored Brothers and Dear Sons,
The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married
people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always
been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many
difficulties and hardships. The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of
married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant
changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions,
for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of
human beings. I. 2. The changes that have taken place are of considerable importance and
varied in nature. In the first place there is the rapid increase in population
which has made many fear that world population is going to grow faster than
available resources, with the consequence that many families and developing
countries would be faced with greater hardships. This can easily induce public
authorities to be tempted to take even harsher measures to avert this danger.
There is also the fact that not only working and housing conditions but the
greater demands made both in the economic and educational field pose a living
situation in which it is frequently difficult these days to provide properly for
a large family. Also noteworthy is a new understanding of the dignity of woman and her place
in society, of the value of conjugal love in marriage and the relationship of
conjugal acts to this love. But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man's stupendous
progress in the domination and rational organization of the forces of nature to
the point that he is endeavoring to extend this control over every aspect of his
own lifeover his body, over his mind and emotions, over his social life,
and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life. New Questions 3. This new state of things gives rise to new questions. Granted the
conditions of life today and taking into account the relevance of married love
to the harmony and mutual fidelity of husband and wife, would it not be right to
review the moral norms in force till now, especially when it is felt that these
can be observed only with the gravest difficulty, sometimes only by heroic
effort? Moreover, if one were to apply here the so called principle of totality,
could it not be accepted that the intention to have a less prolific but more
rationally planned family might transform an action which renders natural
processes infertile into a licit and provident control of birth? Could it not be
admitted, in other words, that procreative finality applies to the totality of
married life rather than to each single act? A further question is whether,
because people are more conscious today of their responsibilities, the time has
not come when the transmission of life should be regulated by their intelligence
and will rather than through the specific rhythms of their own bodies. Interpreting the Moral Law 4. This kind of question requires from the teaching authority of the Church
a new and deeper reflection on the principles of the moral teaching on marriagea
teaching which is based on the natural law as illuminated and enriched by divine
Revelation. No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent
in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law. It is in fact
indisputable, as Our predecessors have many times declared, (l) that Jesus
Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and the other Apostles
and sent them to teach all nations His commandments, (2) constituted them as the
authentic guardians and interpreters of the whole moral law, not only, that is,
of the law of the Gospel but also of the natural law. For the natural law, too,
declares the will of God, and its faithful observance is necessary for men's
eternal salvation. (3) In carrying out this mandate, the Church has always issued appropriate
documents on the nature of marriage, the correct use of conjugal rights, and the
duties of spouses. These documents have been more copious in recent times. (4) Special Studies 5. The consciousness of the same responsibility induced Us to confirm and
expand the commission set up by Our predecessor Pope John XXIII, of happy
memory, in March, 1963. This commission included married couples as well as many
experts in the various fields pertinent to these questions. Its task was to
examine views and opinions concerning married life, and especially on the
correct regulation of births; and it was also to provide the teaching authority
of the Church with such evidence as would enable it to give an apt reply in this
matter, which not only the faithful but also the rest of the world were waiting
for. (5) When the evidence of the experts had been received, as well as the opinions
and advice of a considerable number of Our brethren in the episcopatesome
of whom sent their views spontaneously, while others were requested by Us to do
soWe were in a position to weigh with more precision all the aspects of
this complex subject. Hence We are deeply grateful to all those concerned. The Magisterium's Reply 6. However, the conclusions arrived at by the commission could not be
considered by Us as definitive and absolutely certain, dispensing Us from the
duty of examining personally this serious question. This was all the more
necessary because, within the commission itself, there was not complete
agreement concerning the moral norms to be proposed, and especially because
certain approaches and criteria for a solution to this question had emerged
which were at variance with the moral doctrine on marriage constantly taught by
the magisterium of the Church. Consequently, now that We have sifted carefully the evidence sent to Us and
intently studied the whole matter, as well as prayed constantly to God, We, by
virtue of the mandate entrusted to Us by Christ, intend to give Our reply to
this series of grave questions. II. 7. The question of human procreation, like every other question which
touches human life, involves more than the limited aspects specific to such
disciplines as biology, psychology, demography or sociology. It is the whole man
and the whole mission to which he is called that must be considered: both its
natural, earthly aspects and its supernatural, eternal aspects. And since in the
attempt to justify artificial methods of birth control many appeal to the
demands of married love or of responsible parenthood, these two important
realities of married life must be accurately defined and analyzed. This is what
We mean to do, with special reference to what the Second Vatican Council taught
with the highest authority in its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today. God's Loving Design 8. Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we
realize that it takes its origin from God, who "is love," (6) the
Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." (7) Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the
blind evolution of natural forces. It is in reality the wise and provident
institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving
design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of
themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them alone, develop that union of
two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the
generation and rearing of new lives. The marriage of those who have been baptized is, in addition, invested with
the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the union of
Christ and His Church. Married Love 9. In the light of these facts the characteristic features and exigencies of
married love are clearly indicated, and it is of the highest importance to
evaluate them exactly. This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is
not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also,
and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not
only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that
husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul, and together attain
their human fulfillment. It is a love which is totalthat very special form of personal
friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no
unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience.
Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves
that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other
with the gift of himself. Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until
death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully
aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in
marriage. Though this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents
difficulties, no one has the right to assert that it is impossible; it is, on
the contrary, always honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married
couples proves not only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage,
but also that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness. Finally, this love is fecund. It is not confined wholly to the loving
interchange of husband and wife; it also contrives to go beyond this to bring
new life into being. "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature
ordained toward the procreation and education of children. Children are really
the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the highest degree to their
parents' welfare." (8) Responsible Parenthood 10. Married love, therefore, requires of husband and wife the full awareness
of their obligations in the matter of responsible parenthood, which today,
rightly enough, is much insisted upon, but which at the same time should be
rightly understood. Thus, we do well to consider responsible parenthood in the
light of its varied legitimate and interrelated aspects. With regard to the biological processes, responsible parenthood means an
awareness of, and respect for, their proper functions. In the procreative
faculty the human mind discerns biological laws that apply to the human person.
(9) With regard to man's innate drives and emotions, responsible parenthood
means that man's reason and will must exert control over them. With regard to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions,
responsible parenthood is exercised by those who prudently and generously decide
to have more children, and by those who, for serious reasons and with due
respect to moral precepts, decide not to have additional children for either a
certain or an indefinite period of time. Responsible parenthood, as we use the term here, has one further essential
aspect of paramount importance. It concerns the objective moral order which was
established by God, and of which a right conscience is the true interpreter. In
a word, the exercise of responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife,
keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties toward God,
themselves, their families and human society. From this it follows that they are not free to act as they choose in the
service of transmitting life, as if it were wholly up to them to decide what is
the right course to follow. On the contrary, they are bound to ensure that what
they do corresponds to the will of God the Creator. The very nature of marriage
and its use makes His will clear, while the constant teaching of the Church
spells it out. (10) Observing the Natural Law 11. The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and
chastely united with one another, through which human life is transmitted, is,
as the recent Council recalled, "noble and worthy.'' (11) It does not,
moreover, cease to be legitimate even when, for reasons independent of their
will, it is foreseen to be infertile. For its natural adaptation to the
expression and strengthening of the union of husband and wife is not thereby
suppressed. The fact is, as experience shows, that new life is not the result of
each and every act of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature
and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already
naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws. The Church,
nevertheless, in urging men to the observance of the precepts of the natural
law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and every
marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the
procreation of human life. (12) Union and Procreation 12. This particular doctrine, often expounded by the magisterium of the
Church, is based on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on
his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the
procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act. The reason is that the fundamental nature of the marriage act, while uniting
husband and wife in the closest intimacy, also renders them capable of
generating new lifeand this as a result of laws written into the actual
nature of man and of woman. And if each of these essential qualities, the
unitive and the procreative, is preserved, the use of marriage fully retains its
sense of true mutual love and its ordination to the supreme responsibility of
parenthood to which man is called. We believe that our contemporaries are
particularly capable of seeing that this teaching is in harmony with human
reason. Faithfulness to God's Design 13. Men rightly observe that a conjugal act imposed on one's partner without
regard to his or her condition or personal and reasonable wishes in the matter,
is no true act of love, and therefore offends the moral order in its particular
application to the intimate relationship of husband and wife. If they further
reflect, they must also recognize that an act of mutual love which impairs the
capacity to transmit life which God the Creator, through specific laws, has
built into it, frustrates His design which constitutes the norm of marriage, and
contradicts the will of the Author of life. Hence to use this divine gift while
depriving it, even if only partially, of its meaning and purpose, is equally
repugnant to the nature of man and of woman, and is consequently in opposition
to the plan of God and His holy will. But to experience the gift of married love
while respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not the
master of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established
by the Creator. Just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in
general, so also, and with more particular reason, he has no such dominion over
his specifically sexual faculties, for these are concerned by their very nature
with the generation of life, of which God is the source. "Human life is
sacredall men must recognize that fact," Our predecessor Pope John
XXIII recalled. "From its very inception it reveals the creating hand of
God." (13) Unlawful Birth Control Methods 14. Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and
Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the
direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all
direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as
lawful means of regulating the number of children. (14) Equally to be condemned,
as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct
sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or
temporary. (15) Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or
after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreationwhether
as an end or as a means. (16) Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse
which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a
greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with procreative acts of past
and future to form a single entity, and so be qualified by exactly the same
moral goodness as these. Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to
tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to
promote a greater good," it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons,
to do evil that good may come of it (18)in other words, to intend directly
something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must
therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or
promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general.
Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of
otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately
contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong. Lawful Therapeutic Means 15. On the other hand, the Church does not consider at all illicit the use
of those therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even if a
foreseeable impediment to procreation should result there fromprovided such
impediment is not directly intended for any motive whatsoever. (19) Recourse to Infertile Periods 16. Now as We noted earlier (no. 3), some people today raise the objection
against this particular doctrine of the Church concerning the moral laws
governing marriage, that human intelligence has both the right and
responsibility to control those forces of irrational nature which come within
its ambit and to direct them toward ends beneficial to man. Others ask on the
same point whether it is not reasonable in so many cases to use artificial birth
control if by so doing the harmony and peace of a family are better served and
more suitable conditions are provided for the education of children already
born. To this question We must give a clear reply. The Church is the first to
praise and commend the application of human intelligence to an activity in which
a rational creature such as man is so closely associated with his Creator. But
she affirms that this must be done within the limits of the order of reality
established by God. If therefore there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising
from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from
external circumstances, the Church teaches that married people may then take
advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage
in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile, thus
controlling birth in a way which does not in the least offend the moral
principles which We have just explained. (20) Neither the Church nor her doctrine is inconsistent when she considers it
lawful for married people to take advantage of the infertile period but condemns
as always unlawful the use of means which directly prevent conception, even when
the reasons given for the later practice may appear to be upright and serious.
In reality, these two cases are completely different. In the former the married
couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature. In the later they
obstruct the natural development of the generative process. It cannot be denied
that in each case the married couple, for acceptable reasons, are both perfectly
clear in their intention to avoid children and wish to make sure that none will
result. But it is equally true that it is exclusively in the former case that
husband and wife are ready to abstain from intercourse during the fertile period
as often as for reasonable motives the birth of another child is not desirable.
And when the infertile period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express
their mutual love and safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this
they certainly give proof of a true and authentic love. Consequences of Artificial Methods 17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the
doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the
consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first
consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital
infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is
needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beingsand
especially the young, who are so exposed to temptationneed incentives to
keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break
that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows
accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a
woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to
being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer
considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.
Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power
passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the
precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to
resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as
are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family
difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those
contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard
this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well
happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social
life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined
to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to
intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.
Limits to Man's Power Consequently, unless we are willing that the responsibility of procreating
life should be left to the arbitrary decision of men, we must accept that there
are certain limits, beyond which it is wrong to go, to the power of man over his
own body and its natural functionslimits, let it be said, which no one,
whether as a private individual or as a public authority, can lawfully exceed.
These limits are expressly imposed because of the reverence due to the whole
human organism and its natural functions, in the light of the principles We
stated earlier, and in accordance with a correct understanding of the "principle
of totality" enunciated by Our predecessor Pope Pius XII. (21) Concern of the Church 18. It is to be anticipated that perhaps not everyone will easily accept
this particular teaching. There is too much clamorous outcry against the voice
of the Church, and this is intensified by modern means of communication. But it
comes as no surprise to the Church that she, no less than her divine Founder, is
destined to be a "sign of contradiction." (22) She does not, because
of this, evade the duty imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly the
entire moral law, both natural and evangelical. Since the Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their
arbiteronly their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right for
her to declare lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its very nature,
is always opposed to the true good of man. In preserving intact the whole moral law of marriage, the Church is
convinced that she is contributing to the creation of a truly human
civilization. She urges man not to betray his personal responsibilities by
putting all his faith in technical expedients. In this way she defends the
dignity of husband and wife. This course of action shows that the Church, loyal
to the example and teaching of the divine Savior, is sincere and unselfish in
her regard for men whom she strives to help even now during this earthly
pilgrimage "to share God's life as sons of the living God, the Father of
all men." (23) III. 19. Our words would not be an adequate expression of the thought and
solicitude of the Church, Mother and Teacher of all peoples, if, after having
recalled men to the observance and respect of the divine law regarding
matrimony, they did not also support mankind in the honest regulation of birth
amid the difficult conditions which today afflict families and peoples. The
Church, in fact, cannot act differently toward men than did the Redeemer. She
knows their weaknesses, she has compassion on the multitude, she welcomes
sinners. But at the same time she cannot do otherwise than teach the law. For it
is in fact the law of human life restored to its native truth and guided by the
Spirit of God. (24) Observing the Divine Law. 20. The teaching of the Church regarding the proper regulation of birth is a
promulgation of the law of God Himself. And yet there is no doubt that to many
it will appear not merely difficult but even impossible to observe. Now it is
true that like all good things which are outstanding for their nobility and for
the benefits which they confer on men, so this law demands from individual men
and women, from families and from human society, a resolute purpose and great
endurance. Indeed it cannot be observed unless God comes to their help with the
grace by which the goodwill of men is sustained and strengthened. But to those
who consider this matter diligently it will indeed be evident that this
endurance enhances man's dignity and confers benefits on human society. Value of Self-Discipline 21. The right and lawful ordering of birth demands, first of all, that
spouses fully recognize and value the true blessings of family life and that
they acquire complete mastery over themselves and their emotions. For if with
the aid of reason and of free will they are to control their natural drives,
there can be no doubt at all of the need for self-denial. Only then will the
expression of love, essential to married life, conform to right order. This is
especially clear in the practice of periodic continence. Self-discipline of this
kind is a shining witness to the chastity of husband and wife and, far from
being a hindrance to their love of one another, transforms it by giving it a
more truly human character. And if this self-discipline does demand that they
persevere in their purpose and efforts, it has at the same time the salutary
effect of enabling husband and wife to develop to their personalities and to be
enriched with spiritual blessings. For it brings to family life abundant fruits
of tranquility and peace. It 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, which is the opposite of
charity. It arouses in them a consciousness of their responsibilities. And
finally, it confers upon parents a deeper and more effective influence in the
education of their children. As their children grow up, they develop a right
sense of values and achieve a serene and harmonious use of their mental and
physical powers. Promotion of Chastity 22. We take this opportunity to address those who are engaged in education
and all those whose right and duty it is to provide for the common good of human
society. We would call their attention to the need to create an atmosphere
favorable to the growth of chastity so that true liberty may prevail over
license and the norms of the moral law may be fully safeguarded. Everything therefore in the modern means of social communication which
arouses men's baser passions and encourages low moral standards, as well as
every obscenity in the written word and every form of indecency on the stage and
screen, should be condemned publicly and unanimously by all those who have at
heart the advance of civilization and the safeguarding of the outstanding values
of the human spirit. It is quite absurd to defend this kind of depravity in the
name of art or culture (25) or by pleading the liberty which may be allowed in
this field by the public authorities. Appeal to Public Authorities 23. And now We wish to speak to rulers of nations. To you most of all is
committed the responsibility of safeguarding the common good. You can contribute
so much to the preservation of morals. We beg of you, never allow the morals of
your peoples to be undermined. The family is the primary unit in the state; do
not tolerate any legislation which would introduce into the family those
practices which are opposed to the natural law of God. For there are other ways
by which a government can and should solve the population problemthat is
to say by enacting laws which will assist families and by educating the people
wisely so that the moral law and the freedom of the citizens are both
safeguarded. Seeking True Solutions We are fully aware of the difficulties confronting the public authorities in
this matter, especially in the developing countries. In fact, We had in mind the
justifiable anxieties which weigh upon them when We published Our encyclical
letter
Populorum Progressio. But now We join Our voice to that of Our
predecessor John XXIII of venerable memory, and We make Our own his words: "No
statement of the problem and no solution to it is acceptable which does violence
to man's essential dignity; those who propose such solutions base them on an
utterly materialistic conception of man himself and his life. The only possible
solution to this question is one which envisages the social and economic
progress both of individuals and of the whole of human society, and which
respects and promotes true human values." (26) No one can, without being
grossly unfair, make divine Providence responsible for what clearly seems to be
the result of misguided governmental policies, of an insufficient sense of
social justice, of a selfish accumulation of material goods, and finally of a
culpable failure to undertake those initiatives and responsibilities which would
raise the standard of living of peoples and their children. (27) If only all
governments which were able would do what some are already doing so nobly, and
bestir themselves to renew their efforts and their undertakings! There must be
no relaxation in the programs of mutual aid between all the branches of the
great human family. Here We believe an almost limitless field lies open for the
activities of the great international institutions. To Scientists 24. Our next appeal is to men of science. These can "considerably
advance the welfare of marriage and the family and also peace of conscience, if
by pooling their efforts they strive to elucidate more thoroughly the conditions
favorable to a proper regulation of births." (28) It is supremely
desirable, and this was also the mind of Pius XII, that medical science should
by the study of natural rhythms succeed in determining a sufficiently secure
basis for the chaste limitation of offspring. (29) In this way scientists,
especially those who are Catholics, will by their research establish the truth
of the Church's claim that "there can be no contradiction between two
divine lawsthat which governs the transmitting of life and that which
governs the fostering of married love." (30) To Christian Couples 25. And now We turn in a special way to Our own sons and daughters, to those
most of all whom God calls to serve Him in the state of marriage. While the
Church does indeed hand on to her children the inviolable conditions laid down
by God's law, she is also the herald of salvation and through the sacraments she
flings wide open the channels of grace through which man is made a new creature
responding in charity and true freedom to the design of his Creator and Savior,
experiencing too the sweetness of the yoke of Christ. (31) In humble obedience then to her voice, let Christian husbands and wives be
mindful of their vocation to the Christian life, a vocation which, deriving from
their Baptism, has been confirmed anew and made more explicit by the Sacrament
of Matrimony. For by this sacrament they are strengthened and, one might almost
say, consecrated to the faithful fulfillment of their duties. Thus will they
realize to the full their calling and bear witness as becomes them, to Christ
before the world. (32) For the Lord has entrusted to them the task of making
visible to men and women the holiness and joy of the law which united
inseparably their love for one another and the cooperation they give to God's
love, God who is the Author of human life. We have no wish at all to pass over in silence the difficulties, at times
very great, which beset the lives of Christian married couples. For them, as
indeed for every one of us, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that
leads to life." (33) Nevertheless it is precisely the hope of that life
which, like a brightly burning torch, lights up their journey, as, strong in
spirit, they strive to live "sober, upright and godly lives in this world,"
(34) knowing for sure that "the form of this world is passing away."
(35) Recourse to God For this reason husbands and wives should take up the burden appointed to
them, willingly, in the strength of faith and of that hope which "does not
disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who has been given to us ~}36 Then let them implore the help of God
with unremitting prayer and, most of all, let them draw grace and charity from
that unfailing fount which is the Eucharist. If, however, sin still exercises
its hold over them, they are not to lose heart. Rather must they, humble and
persevering, have recourse to the mercy of God, abundantly bestowed in the
Sacrament of Penance. In this way, for sure, they will be able to reach that
perfection of married life which the Apostle sets out in these words: "Husbands,
love your wives, as Christ loved the Church. . . Even so husbands should love
their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man
ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the
Church. . . This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the
Church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife
see that she respects her husband." (37) Family Apostolate 26. Among the fruits that ripen if the law of God be resolutely obeyed, the
most precious is certainly this, that married couples themselves will often
desire to communicate their own experience to others. Thus it comes about that
in the fullness of the lay vocation will be included a novel and outstanding
form of the apostolate by which, like ministering to like, married couples
themselves by the leadership they offer will become apostles to other married
couples. And surely among all the forms of the Christian apostolate it is hard
to think of one more opportune for the present time. (38) To Doctors and Nurses 27. Likewise we hold in the highest esteem those doctors and members of the
nursing profession who, in the exercise of their calling, endeavor to fulfill
the demands of their Christian vocation before any merely human interest. Let
them therefore continue constant in their resolution always to support those
lines of action which accord with faith and with right reason. And let them
strive to win agreement and support for these policies among their professional
colleagues. Moreover, they should regard it as an essential part of their skill
to make themselves fully proficient in this difficult field of medical
knowledge. For then, when married couples ask for their advice, they may be in a
position to give them right counsel and to point them in the proper direction.
Married couples have a right to expect this much from them. To Priests 28. And now, beloved sons, you who are priests, you who in virtue of your
sacred office act as counselors and spiritual leaders both of individual men and
women and of familiesWe turn to you filled with great confidence. For it
is your principal dutyWe are speaking especially to you who teach moral
theologyto spell out clearly and completely the Church's teaching on
marriage. In the performance of your ministry you must be the first to give an
example of that sincere obedience, inward as well as outward, which is due to
the magisterium of the Church. For, as you know, the pastors of the Church enjoy
a special light of the Holy Spirit in teaching the truth. (39) And this, rather
than the arguments they put forward, is why you are bound to such obedience. Nor
will it escape you that if men's peace of soul and the unity of the Christian
people are to be preserved, then it is of the utmost importance that in moral as
well as in dogmatic theology all should obey the magisterium of the Church and
should speak as with one voice. Therefore We make Our own the anxious words of
the great Apostle Paul and with all Our heart We renew Our appeal to you: "I
appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you
agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the
same mind and the same judgment." (40) Christian Compassion 29. Now it is an outstanding manifestation of charity toward souls to omit
nothing from the saving doctrine of Christ; but this must always be joined with
tolerance and charity, as Christ Himself showed in His conversations and
dealings with men. For when He came, not to judge, but to save the world, (41)
was He not bitterly severe toward sin, but patient and abounding in mercy toward
sinners? Husbands and wives, therefore, when deeply distressed by reason of the
difficulties of their life, must find stamped in the heart and voice of their
priest the likeness of the voice and the love of our Redeemer. So speak with full confidence, beloved sons, convinced that while the Holy
Spirit of God is present to the magisterium proclaiming sound doctrine, He also
illumines from within the hearts of the faithful and invites their assent. Teach
married couples the necessary way of prayer and prepare them to approach more
often with great faith the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance. Let them
never lose heart because of their weakness. To Bishops 30. And now as We come to the end of this encyclical letter, We turn Our
mind to you, reverently and lovingly, beloved and venerable brothers in the
episcopate, with whom We share more closely the care of the spiritual good of
the People of God. For We invite all of you, We implore you, to give a lead to
your priests who assist you in the sacred ministry, and to the faithful of your
dioceses, and to devote yourselves with all zeal and without delay to
safeguarding the holiness of marriage, in order to guide married life to its
full human and Christian perfection. Consider this mission as one of your most
urgent responsibilities at the present time. As you well know, it calls for
concerted pastoral action in every field of human diligence, economic, cultural
and social. If simultaneous progress is made in these various fields, then the
intimate life of parents and children in the family will be rendered not only
more tolerable, but easier and more joyful. And life together in human society
will be enriched with fraternal charity and made more stable with true peace
when God's design which He conceived for the world is faithfully followed. A Great Work 31. Venerable brothers, beloved sons, all men of good will, great indeed is
the work of education, of progress and of charity to which We now summon all of
you. And this We do relying on the unshakable teaching of the Church, which
teaching Peter's successor together with his brothers in the Catholic episcopate
faithfully guards and interprets. And We are convinced that this truly great
work will bring blessings both on the world and on the Church. For man cannot
attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his
spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his
very nature. These laws must be wisely and lovingly observed. On this great
work, on all of you and especially on married couples, We implore from the God
of all holiness and pity an abundance of heavenly grace as a pledge of which We
gladly bestow Our apostolic blessing. Given at St. Peter's, Rome, on the 25th day of July, the feast of St.
James
the Apostle, in the year 1968, the sixth of Our pontificate. PAUL VI NOTES LATIN TEXT: Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 60 (1968), 481-503. ENGLISH TRANSLATION: The Pope Speaks, 13 (Fall. 1969), 329-46. REFERENCES: (1) See Pius IX, encyc. letter Oui pluribus: Pii IX P.M. Acta, 1,
pp. 9-10; St. Pius X encyc. letter Singulari quadam: AAS 4 (1912), 658;
Pius XI, encyc.letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 579-581; Pius XII,
address Magnificate Dominum to the episcopate of the Catholic World: AAS
46 (1954), 671-672; John XXIII, encyc. letter Mater et Magistra:
AAS 53 (1961), 457. (2) See Mt 28. 18-19. (3) See Mt 7. 21. (4) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Leo XIII,
encyc.letter Arcanum: Acta Leonis XIII, 2 (1880), 26-29; Pius
XI, encyc.letter Divini illius Magistri: AAS 22 (1930), 58-61;
encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 545-546; Pius XII, Address
to Italian Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi di
Pio XII, VI, 191-192; to Italian Association of Catholic Midwives: AAS 43
(1951), 835-854; to the association known as the Family Campaign, and other
family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; to 7th congress of International
Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]; John XXIII,
encyc.letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 446-447 [TPS VII,
330-331]; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today, nos. 47-52: AAS 58 (1966), 1067-1074 [TPS XI, 289-295]; Code
of Canon Law, canons 1067, 1068 §1, canon 1076, §§1-2. (5) See Paul VI, Address to Sacred College of Cardinals: AAS 56 (1964), 588
[TPS IX, 355-356]; to Commission for the Study of Problems of Population, Family
and Birth: AAS 57 (1965), 388 [TPS X, 225]; to National Congress of the Italian
Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology: AAS 58 (1966), 1168 [TPS XI, 401-403].
(6) See 1 Jn 4. 8. (7) Eph 3. 15. (8) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the World of Today, no. 50: AAS 58 (1966), 1070-1072 [TPS XI, 292-293].
(9) See St. Thomas, Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 94, art. 2. (10) See Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the World of Today, nos . 50- 5 1: AAS 58 ( 1 966) 1070-1073
[TPS XI, 292-293]. (11) See ibid., no. 49: AAS 58 (1966), 1070 [TPS XI, 291-292]. (12) See Pius XI. encyc. letter Casti connubi: AAS 22 (1930), 560;
Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843. (13) See encyc. letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS
VII, 331]. (14) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Pius XI,
encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 562-564; Pius XII, Address
to Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi, VI,
191-192; Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 842-843; Address to Family Campaign
and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; John XXIII, encyc. letter
Pacem in terris: AAS 55 (1963), 259-260 [TPS IX, 15-16]; Second Vatican
Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, no.
51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293]. (15) See Pius XI, encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 565;
Decree of the Holy Office, Feb. 22, 1940: AAS 32 (1940), 73; Pius XII, Address
to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843-844; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS
VI, 394-395]. (16) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Pius XI,
encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 559-561; Pius XII, Address
to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958),
734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]; John XXIII, encyc.letter Mater et Magistra:
AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS VII, 331]. (17) See Pius XII, Address to National Congress of Italian Society of the
Union of Catholic Jurists: AAS 45 (1953), 798-799 [TPS I, 67-69]. (18) See Rom 3. 8. (19) See Pius XII, Address to 26th Congress of Italian Association of
Urology: AAS 45 (1953), 674-675; to Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958),
734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]. (20) See Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 846. (21) See Pius XII, Address to Association of Urology: AAS 45 (1953),
674-675; to leaders and members of Italian Association of Cornea Donors and
Italian Association for the Blind: AAS 48 (1956), 461-462 [TPS III, 200-201]. (22) Lk 2. 34. (23) See Paul Vl, encyc. letter Populorum progressio: AAS 59 (1967),
268 [TPS XII, 151]. (24) See Rom 8. (25) See Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Media of Social
Communication, nos. 6-7: AAS 56 (1964), 147 [TPS IX, 340-341]. (26) Encyc. letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447 [TPS VII,
331]. (27) See encyc. letter Populorum progressio, nos. 48-55: AAS 59
(1967), 281-284 [TPS XII, 160-162]. (28) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the World of Today, no. 52: AAS 58 (1966), 1074 [TPS XI, 294]. (29) Address to Family Campaign and other family associations: AAS 43
(1951), 859. (30) Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the World of Today, no. 51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293]. (31) See Mt 11. 30. (32) See Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church
in the World of Today, no. 48: AAS 58 (1966), 1067-1069 [TPS XI,290-291];
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, no. 35: AAS 57 (1965), 40-41 [TPS
X, 382-383]. (33) Mt 7. 14; see Heb 12. 11. (34) See Ti 2. 12. (35) See 1 Cor 7. 31. (36) Rom 5. 5. (37) Eph 5. 25, 28-29, 32-33. (38) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
nos. 35, 41: AAS 57 (1965), 40-45 [TPS X, 382-383, 386-387; Pastoral
Constitution on the Church in the World of Today, nos. 48-49: AAS 58
(1966),1067-1070 [TPS XI, 290-292]; Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity,
no. 11: AAS 58 (1966), 847-849 [TPS XI, 128-129]. (39) See Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,
no. 25: AAS 57 (1965), 29-31 [TPS X, 375-376]. (40) 1 Cor 1. 10. (41) See Jn 3. 17.
|
|