RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD - As defined by Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical, "HUMANAE VITAE"

30 September 2010 at 18:18

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.
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.


Responsible parenthood
What is responsible parenthood? Its the virtuous decision made by a married couple to either conceive a
child or postpone conception. Catholics are NOT expected to have as many children as possible! We
have learned to trust in our ability to parent our children in accordance with Gods providence. This hasnt
always been easy.
Ive often heard others say that my husband is unique, for his willing participation in all this. While I
agree that Kerry is amazing and an extraordinary husband and father, I dont know that we didnt become
better spouses by our commitment to the practice of natural family planning (NFP) and truly loving one
another versus using each other.
Our passion for natural family planning grew and we became certified teachers for Couple to Couple
League (CCL). Becoming teachers wasnt the difficult part putting ourselves out there so intimately
was. Contraception is frequently a very controversial topic, and we really arent controversial people. But
sharing and teaching this information has felt like our penance for blatantly disregarding the Church, for
turning our back on God.
A few years ago we took a leap of faith, and weve never looked back. We dumped contraception in favor
of the knowledge handed down over the 2000+-year history of the Catholic Church. Its been the single-
most important decision of our marriage and biggest area for growth. My prayer is for all marriages to
experience as much.
What is keeping you from learning more about NFP?
The fullness of the Truth is available once you search past the secular nonsense. Here are five steps that
helped my husband and me fully embrace natural family planning.
1. Learn what the Church is teaching. Dont take your neighbors word, do your research! Talk to your
priest. Read the Catechism and Humane Vitae. Dive into Theology of the Body. The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops has insightful information on their Love and Sexuality webpage as well.
2. Make a good Confession, and embrace the sacraments. There is true beauty in the marriage of
science and theology, and there are untold graces for those taking that leap of faith.
3. Learn one of the methods. There are multiple NFP methods that are scientifically validated and
theologically backed. Go to any of these websites for more information.
o Couple to Couple League
o Creighton Model Fertility Care
o Billings Ovulation Method
o Marquette Model NFP
4. Share the Good News, despite how uncomfortable it may feel. Support people trying their best to follow
the teachings of the Church, whether or not you have personally grasped the concepts yet. Even if you
dont believe this applies to you, share Gods message. You dont know who that could be and Gods role
for you in their life. We ALL can learn to live more chastely clergy and religious, all married couples,
those preparing for marriage, single people, and those who have passed their fertile years or undergone
sterilization procedures.
5. Teach your children about NFP. The marital chastity NFP requires allows you to be a model for your
children. This becomes a natural gateway for then teaching abstinence to your teenage children. Taking
the easy way out and encouraging them to use contraceptives in the place of instilling the virtue of
chastity can lead to many physical and spiritual consequences.
Gods will for each of us is amazing. We all are asked to make different sacrifices in His name. The
graces revealed in that are innumerable. One of Blessed John Paul IIs favorite sayings was Be not
afraid. Please, do not fear the unknown.

Responsible Parenthood, as defined in the Directional Plan of POPCOM, is the will and ability of
parents to respond to the needs and aspirations of the family and children. It is a shared
responsibility of the husband and the wife to determine and achieve the desired number,
spacing, and timing of their children according to their own family life aspirations, taking into
account psychological preparedness, health status, socio-cultural, and economic concerns.