Aug 22, 2018
Ready for a beautiful, meaningful episode? Well, Lizzy Grayson, a mom of little ones, practitioner of NFP and fellow podcast listener delivers a beautiful, little episode for you today!
A few weeks back Lizzy emailed me asking if I would consider doing an episode on Humanae Vitae. Sure, I said, if you come on as a guest and share about it! You see, I read Humanae Vitaein college...a million years ago, and Lizzy said something so interesting--she said that this Papal Document had profoundly impacted her and her husband. This surprised me because I have heard LOTS of couples talk about how Theology of the Bodyimpacted their relationship, but Humanae Vitae?
Well, after listening to Lizzy I bet you will feel the beauty of the document as well.
Humanae Vitaecame out in 1968 and was written by Pope Paul the 6th as a response to the widespread use of contraception. Many Catholics argued that the pill should be okay for Catholics to use, but the Pope clearly stated that since contraception make the marital act no longer unitive and procreative, thus changing this sacramental act, it went against church teaching.
We can see now just how prophetic Humanae Vitaehas been. In this short encyclical Pope Paul 6th predicts that widespread use of the pill will lead to increased infidelity, it will be forced on women and women will be respected less.
The church, however, remains compassionate for Catholic couples. It acknowledges that not being able to use contraception is a cross to bare. It also encourages us to grow in temperance and charity, which we have a greater opportunity to do when we don't use contraception.
It really was a wonderful and powerful conversation with Lizzy. If you are listening to this and upset by anything we said, please feel free to reach out to me via email. I would be happy to chat with you about it. Also, please don't feel condemned by anything we said here. We are all sinners and if you have failed to live out fully the church's teaching on contraception, please, do not despair! Thankfully, there is forgiveness for all of us, for whatever we might have done! Believe in that and bring these things to the Lord!
Here are a few helpful links:
Your sister in the small things,
Nancy