The People Speak Out

Local voices connecting globally

This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.  (Pope Francis)

Canon Law 212 calls upon the laity to speak up:

2 - The Christian faithful are free to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their desires.

§3. - According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.

At least even Humanae Vitae did get as far as recognizing that our progress in inderstanding human sexuality sees that it is “natural Law” ƒor humans that conception can occur only when there was an egg present to be fertilized.

So P. Paul 6 approved the already established opinion that intercourse was permissable when conception is not posible. So he recommended Responsible Parenthood.

He just did not seem to realize – as many women and other people did – rhat his recommending having intercouse when conception was not possible contradicted the “principle” that every sexual act had “to be open to conception”.

If it doesn’t have to be open to conception – and the whole point is to attempt to not be open to conception – when using “natural” family planning, then the means really makes no difference.

The Virtue of Prudence is Primary. Responsible Parenthood is the goal imposed by God in practicing that virtue.{jcomments on}