Is contraception okay if the unborn will definitely die?

[hrwilliams]

As a writer, I want my Catholic characters to be accurate portrayals (not some crude caricature – I know I wouldn’t appreciate it!). My problem is that a character of mine is about to convert to Catholicism, but a previous abortion has left her unable to carry children full-term. For this reason, she doesn’t wish to conceive again. Would the Church officially condemn this, and if not, would any movements within the Church have a problem with it?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Thank you for seeking out information on how the Catholic Church would view this situation. I wish more fiction writers were as conscientious.

Generally speaking, the Church would not have a problem with a woman who has the medical history you outline not wishing to conceive again. What the Church would have a problem with is using contraception to prevent conception. Basically, the Church’s view is that the decision to conceive should take place before entering into marital relations. Once marital relations are entered into, it is not moral, in the Church’s view, to block the natural result of pregnancy.

What the Church would recommend for such a woman and her husband is that they use Natural Family Planning (NFP). It is a method that allows the couple to determine when the woman is fertile (using bodily fertility signs and not the calendar – please do not confuse NFP with the so-called “rhythm method”) and then to abstain from marital relations during the fertile period. If you wish to portray NFP as a choice for your character, I recommend contacting the Couple to Couple League for more information.

Recommended reading:

God, Sex, and Babies by Christopher West
That Celibate Bachelor was Right! by Rachel Fay