"Humanae Vitae" Is it really prophetic?

[Mannyfit75]

Many Catholic apologists, and moral theologians says that the Humane Vitae written by Pope Paul VI is very prophetic because it predicted the breakdown of marriage, the legalization of abortions, and other immoralities. Does anyone agree with this.

 

[Riley259]

Many Catholic apologists, and moral theologians says that the Humane Vitae written by Pope Paul VI is very prophetic because it predicted the breakdown of marriage, the legalization of abortions, and other immoralities. Does anyone agree with this.

Absolutely. He predicted that the use of artificial contraception would increase pornography use, increase divorce rates, encourage adultery, and by extention increase abortions. All those things have come to pass and clearly the Holy Spirit was guiding the Pope in his very unpopular decision (according to the world’s standards). Look at how many Protestant denominations that have gone off the rails as a result of their endorsement of contraception (among other things).

 

[Johenz]

I agree 100% with Riley.

 

[JimG]

Absolutely. He predicted that the use of artificial contraception would increase pornography use, increase divorce rates, encourage adultery, and by extention increase abortions. All those things have come to pass and clearly the Holy Spirit was guiding the Pope in his very unpopular decision (according to the world’s standards). Look at how many Protestant denominations that have gone off the rails as a result of their endorsement of contraception (among other things).

Having lived both before and after the promulgation of Humanae Vitae, I can personally attest that this is absolutely true. Everything the pope predicted has come to pass, in worse measure than anyone living at the time could have anticipated.

 

[StCsDavid]

I agree that it was very predictive, though I don’t know that it could be considered true prophecy. It certainly was the Holy Spirit in action protecting the Church as it countered the dreadful “Majority Report.”

 

[Mannyfit75]

I agree that it was very predictive, though I don’t know that it could be considered true prophecy. It certainly was the Holy Spirit in action protecting the Church as it countered the dreadful “Majority Report.”

I think this testimony is proof that the Holy Spirit is guiding the Living Church.

 

[1ke]

Many Catholic apologists, and moral theologians says that the Humane Vitae written by Pope Paul VI is very prophetic because it predicted the breakdown of marriage, the legalization of abortions, and other immoralities. Does anyone agree with this.

It’s definitely prophetic, but in more than one way.

(1) It is “prophetic” in the sense that the secular world uses the world-- a predicting of things to come. It definitely did this.

(2) It is prophetic in the Catholic sense of the term, as in the prophets of the Old Testament. The prophets called the people back to fidelity. At a time when the culture was attempting to draw Catholics into the sin of contraception and abortion, the Pope spoke out boldly to call them back. This parallels the prophets of old calling Israel back to fidelty to God when surrounded by pagan cultures.

(3) And, as with the prophets of old, no prophet is accepted in his own country. The dissent and turmoil that followed Humanae Vitae is no different than the response Israel gave to many of the prophets. The Pope endured much maligning for his courage to speak the Truth of Christ.

 

[legeorge]

I think it was prophetic.
Read “Why Humanae Vitae was Right, A Reader” by Janet Smith. It’ll open some eyes and make you think.

 

[BobP123]

Having lived both before and after the promulgation of Humanae Vitae, I can personally attest that this is absolutely true. Everything the pope predicted has come to pass, in worse measure than anyone living at the time could have anticipated.

I also lived before and after this promulgation. However, if you remember correctly, Paul VI first issued Progressio Populorum and then later, as more and more Catholics became convinced that the Vatican would allow the pill, the Pope had assembled many moral theologians who had strong arguments for the pill. And he had them convene some more. It was not an overnight cut-and dried decision. The news media had a field day with it. Finally Paul VI came out with his Humanae Vitae, which was forceful enough, but many priests had already told their congregations to “use their conscience” in this matter.

Had the Pope issued the HV sooner and without debate, there would have been much more acceptance of it, in my opinion.

 

[bilop]

I truly think that HV must have been the Holy Spirit protecting the Church. Paul VI made so many bad decisions about implementing V2, but when it came to Faith and Morals he got it right.

God Bless

 

[tm30]

I truly think that HV must have been the Holy Spirit protecting the Church. Paul VI made so many bad decisions about implementing V2, but when it came to Faith and Morals he got it right.

God Bless

It was widely expected that Pope Paul VI was going to relent on contraception. HV was a great disappointment to liberal forces in the Church, but it proved that, truly, the Holy Spirit is in charge no matter what.

 

[bilop]

It was widely expected that Pope Paul VI was going to relent on contraception. HV was a great disappointment to liberal forces in the Church, but it proved that, truly, the Holy Spirit is in charge no matter what.

I know. I wish His Holiness had shown that fortitude on a number of other issues. He supposedly was horrified by the new Mass Bishop Bugnini and co. composed, but thought things had gone too far to turn back. When you see a quote likek this from the Bishop:

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren, that is, for the Protestants.”
L’Osservatore Romano, March 19, 1965.

you can see why the Holy Father was worried.

If he had only had the guts to rip it up and say “Tridentine Mass, Ordinary stays in Latin, Propers in the vernacular, case closed. And anyone who doesn’t like it can leave.”, I think a lot of troubles would have been averted.

God Bless

 

[rwoehmke]

It’s definitely prophetic, but in more than one way.

(1) It is “prophetic” in the sense that the secular world uses the world-- a predicting of things to come. It definitely did this.

(2) It is prophetic in the Catholic sense of the term, as in the prophets of the Old Testament. The prophets called the people back to fidelity. At a time when the culture was attempting to draw Catholics into the sin of contraception and abortion, the Pope spoke out boldly to call them back. This parallels the prophets of old calling Israel back to fidelty to God when surrounded by pagan cultures.

(3) And, as with the prophets of old, no prophet is accepted in his own country. The dissent and turmoil that followed Humanae Vitae is no different than the response Israel gave to many of the prophets. The Pope endured much maligning for his courage to speak the Truth of Christ.

Very well said, 1ke. What Paul VI said was going to happen is certainly all around us today “in spades.” At the time I was one of the scoffers, but we get more wise as we age. At least I pray that is so. In spite of my scoffing I have never taught anyone that the Church was wrong on this; a guilt which I still thank God for sparing me from.

 

[katy]

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren, that is, for the Protestants.”
L’Osservatore Romano, March 19, 1965.

As a member of a Protestant family at the time, I can say with confidence that Protestants were not thinking of stumbling blocks to Rome. If they thought of Cathoicism at all in that regard, it was more like,“Well they are finally coming to realize that we were right all along.”

 

[bilop]

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren, that is, for the Protestants.”
L’Osservatore Romano, March 19, 1965.

As a member of a Protestant family at the time, I can say with confidence that Protestants were not thinking of stumbling blocks to Rome. If they thought of Cathoicism at all in that regard, it was more like,“Well they are finally coming to realize that we were right all along.”

Yes that’s the problem. I bet it made a lot of Catholics say that too. If the Mass now seems “Protestant”, what else were the Protetstants right about?

God Bless

 

[BobP123]

If he had only had the guts to rip it up and say “Tridentine Mass, Ordinary stays in Latin, Propers in the vernacular, case closed. And anyone who doesn’t like it can leave.”, I think a lot of troubles would have been averted.

Well, Paul VI did say that the “smoke of Satan” had entered the Church in 1973. However, it seems that much of this was his own doing.