Natural Family Planning: New Questions

[Paxvobis]

Hello,

I was under the assumption that utilizing NFP was acceptable under any circumstances until I heard this sermon online by a Mr. Fr. Chad Ripperger, F.S.S.P. (By the way, he says that to listen to the audio you must either “donate $1, offer up a decade of the Rosary, or perform some other form of penance for the intentions of Fr. Ripperger.”)

sensustraditionis.org/webaudio/Sermons/Disk5/Contraception.mp3

To quote what the priest said in the relevant part of his sermon:

To use NFP to avoid pregnancy, Pius XII makes it very clear that you must have a grave (emphasis his) reason. By grave, we mean dire. It’s not something slight. And by this and by grave we mean starvation, either the couple or the kids are starved, the loss of a home, if you take off one more kid you’ll have to take a loan against your house, or things like this. So, if it’s sufficiently grave, you can sufficiently use it. But, you cannot use NFP to avoid pregnancy without a sufficient reason. This means that things like you don’t want to take on the financial burden, or you want to space your kids out: those are not good enough reasons to use NFP and it’s gravely sinful to do so. It is a mortal sin to use NFP without a sufficient reason. You can, however, use NFP in order to get pregnant.

Is this an accurate representation of Church teaching? If so, than without contraception or NFP, is abstinence the only way a couple can avoid having children without the dire reasons he describes?

 

[Syri]

Yes and no. It’s true that one needs to have serious reason to use NFP, but there is no official list of what 'serious" means. we ARE allowed to use NFP to reasonably space our children. If for no better reason than the health of the mother, whos body needs time to recover between pregnancies, as well as reestablishing financial security that may be in turmoil over the birth of baby numero uno.

The examples and guidlines in that quote are a tad on the extreme, conservative side. We are to use our well formed consciounce to know what is serious reason.

 

[supertubos]

Hello,

I was under the assumption that utilizing NFP was acceptable under any circumstances until I heard this sermon online by a Mr. Fr. Chad Ripperger, F.S.S.P. (By the way, he says that to listen to the audio you must either “donate $1, offer up a decade of the Rosary, or perform some other form of penance for the intentions of Fr. Ripperger.”)

sensustraditionis.org/webaudio/Sermons/Disk5/Contraception.mp3

To quote what the priest said in the relevant part of his sermon:

Is this an accurate representation of Church teaching? If so, than without contraception or NFP, is abstinence the only way a couple can avoid having children without the dire reasons he describes?

Pius XII, the Pope of my infancy, was a great Pope, He was a pope for his time. forget about that text. Listen to the present Popes. New challenges bring new ideas, The doctrine evolved, Popes evolve too, attention, few Pope’s statements are considered dogma, only when he speaks “ex Cathedra” and that was not the case.

You know, when science advances, it brings new challenges not only for the Pope but also for the ethics of the Society. Take the actual cases of the frozen embryos, the cloning, ans so on. The Church, on its totality, searches for the truth, but sometimes it does not come easy as god does not reveal Its will easily. We see Him, not face a face like in Heaven will we do, but in a foggy way.

So, look to the present Popes for guidance and respect the dead Ones for the place they had in the History of the Curch…

 

[Bookcat]

Here…this is from the Compendium issued by Pope Benedict XVI about 5 years ago.

1. When is it moral to regulate births?

2368-2369
2399

The regulation of births, which is an aspect of responsible fatherhood and motherhood, is objectively morally acceptable when it is pursued by the spouses without external pressure; when it is practiced not out of selfishness but for serious reasons; and with methods that conform to the objective criteria of morality, that is, periodic continence and use of the infertile periods.

(the last line refers to NFP)

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

I would not use the term grave…though it has been used in the past for some are confused by it these days. The Church in the recent documents has been using the term serious reasons. They can be of a great variety…financial…medical etc… And serious reasons does not have to be some life or death thing…it can be as simple as one does needs to not be pregnant this month in order to do some biopsy.

Life can through all sorts of things at you…

and this is from the Compendium of Social Doctrine issued during the time of Pope John Paul II

1. The family contributes to the social good in an eminent fashion through responsible motherhood and fatherhood, the spouses’ special participation in God’s work of creation[519]. The weight of this responsibility must not be used as a justification for being selfishly closed but must guide the decisions of the spouses in a generous acceptance of life. “In relation to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood is exercised both in the duly pondered and generous decision to have a large family, and in the decision, made for serious reasons and in respect of the moral law, to avoid for a time or even indeterminately a new birth”[520]. The motivations that should guide the couple in exercising responsible motherhood and fatherhood originate in the full recognition of their duties towards God, towards themselves, towards the family and towards society in a proper hierarchy of values.
2. Concerning the “methods” for practising responsible procreation, the first to be rejected as morally illicit are sterilization and abortion[521]. The latter in particular is a horrendous crime and constitutes a particularly serious moral disorder[522]; far from being a right, it is a sad phenomenon that contributes seriously to spreading a mentality against life, representing a dangerous threat to a just and democratic social coexistence[523].

Also to be rejected is recourse to contraceptive methods in their different forms[524]: this rejection is based on a correct and integral understanding of the person and human sexuality [525] and represents a moral call to defend the true development of peoples[526]. On the other hand, the same reasons of an anthropological order justify recourse to periodic abstinence during times of the woman’s fertility[527]. Rejecting contraception and using natural methods for regulating births means choosing to base interpersonal relations between the spouses on mutual respect and total acceptance, with positive consequences also for bringing about a more human order in society.

1. The judgment concerning the interval of time between births, and that regarding the number of children,belongs to the spouses alone. This is one of their inalienable rights, to be exercised before God with due consideration of their obligations towards themselves, their children already born, the family and society[528]. The intervention of public authorities within the limits of their competence to provide information and enact suitable measures in the area of demographics must be made in a way that fully respects the persons and the freedom of the couple. Such intervention may never become a substitute for their decisions[529]. All the more must various organizations active in this area refrain from doing the same.

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html

 

[Em_in_FL]

Follow the documents for the teachings of the church…

The Catechism states:

2368
A particular aspect of this responsibility concerns the regulation of procreation. For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. Moreover, they should conform their behavior to the objective criteria of morality:

When it is a question of harmonizing married love with the responsible transmission of life, the morality of the behavior does not depend on sincere intention and evaluation of motives alone; but it must be determined by objective criteria, criteria drawn from the nature of the person and his acts, criteria that respect the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love; this is possible only if the virtue of married chastity is practiced with sincerity of heart.156

The main documents this is based on are GAUDIUM ET SPES and HUMANAE VITAE

 

[Bookcat]

Follow the documents for the teachings of the church…

The Catechism states:

The main documents this is based on are GAUDIUM ET SPES and HUMANAE VITAE

Right and the more recent documents (see above) note that they are to be serious reasons…not some selfish reason. (A reason to avoid here in order to be just …would need be serious). But serious reasons are not life or death …dire reasons…they can be as simple as one needs to avoid a new conception cause one is going to have some medical procedure done in the next month …the *couple *must judge before God (in a non-scrupulous exaggerated way…in an honest Christian way) perhaps with the advice of others.

 

[Bookcat]

Honey…I think we should avoid this month…cause it is summer and I want to fit into my (modest) swimsuit…

Certainly not a serious reason (except for the most extreme erroneous conscience perhaps …which judges very wrongly.)

Honey…I think we need to avoid this month cause I got to do that biopsy and I should not be pregnant for it.

Certainly a serious reason.

 

[Debora123]

Hello,

I was under the assumption that utilizing NFP was acceptable under any circumstances until I heard this sermon online by a Mr. Fr. Chad Ripperger, F.S.S.P. (By the way, he says that to listen to the audio you must either “donate $1, offer up a decade of the Rosary, or perform some other form of penance for the intentions of Fr. Ripperger.”)

sensustraditionis.org/webaudio/Sermons/Disk5/Contraception.mp3

To quote what the priest said in the relevant part of his sermon:

Is this an accurate representation of Church teaching? If so, than without contraception or NFP, is abstinence the only way a couple can avoid having children without the dire reasons he describes?

…So according to this, unless a family is in a life/death situation, about to lose their homes, or on the brink of starvation, a couple must continue to be in a constant state of conceiving and birthing children.

 

[joclucsylv]

…So according to this, unless a family is in a life/death situation, about to lose their homes, or on the brink of starvation, a couple must continue to be in a constant state of conceiving and birthing children.

Wow…this is interesting isn’t it Debora. So I was right in my conclusion from the other posts!!

 

[Jennifer_J]

Wow…this is interesting isn’t it Debora. So I was right in my conclusion from the other posts!!

No. The above statement by the OP is in error. There must be grave/serious/just reasons. It’s not life and death but it must be grave/serious/just.

 

[Debora123]

No. The above statement by the OP is in error. There must be grave/serious/just reasons. It’s not life and death but it must be grave/serious/just.

The seriousness and gravity are always subjective depending on what the couple consider to be so.

It was left vague like that on purpose, I think.

 

[ac_claire]

The seriousness and gravity are always subjective depending on what the couple consider to be so.

It was left vague like that on purpose, I think.

Yes it was. It’s not just what the couple “consider” grave/serious/etc… They are also supposed to prayerfully discern those reasons. In the old days it was a given that you’d discuss it with your pastor for his insight as well (according to my grandma).

 

[Bookcat]

Yes it was. It’s not just what the couple “consider” grave/serious/etc… They are also supposed to prayerfully discern those reasons. In the old days it was a given that you’d discuss it with your pastor for his insight as well (according to my grandma).

yes counsel is important at times.

Also in judging if it is a serious reason (not some life or death thing necessarily…rather just serious) as the Compendium of Social Doctrine (during Bl. John Paul II’s time)

notes that the judgment is to be " exercised before God with due consideration of their obligations towards themselves, their children already born, the family and society"

 

[smichhertz]

I was under the assumption that utilizing NFP was acceptable under any circumstances until I heard this sermon online by a Mr. Fr. Chad Ripperger, F.S.S.P.
To quote what the priest said in the relevant part of his sermon:

To use NFP to avoid pregnancy, Pius XII makes it very clear that you must have a grave

Hi Paxvobis!

The list of reasons he provided are definitely grave, but I don’t think lesser things wouldn’t count as well. It is a decision that each couple must prayerfully discern.

Remember, at the same time priests are preparing couples for marriage and counseling them on children, they are also hearing painful confessions of older couples wishing they had had more children. I have had priests tell me sad stories of older couples who were just absolutely miserable because they wasted their money on material possessions instead of putting it towards more children. Priests see the unhappiness first hand that awaits couples that allow selfishness to enter into their decision to hold off on more kids. Priests have to deal with this all the time.

I think for this reason, this priest had good intentions when he made these statements, but he goes a little too far. Sure, many couples make poor decisions and set themselves up for unhappiness citing “money” as the problem. But that doesn’t mean a good virtuous and holy couple couldn’t prayerfully discern to use NFP for a little while to save up for the next child.

In any case, the bottom line is that it is left up to the consciences of the couple. Each must prayerfully discern for themselves, and maybe seek the advise of a priest.

Hope that helps!