Traditional Catholics and support for Humanae Vitae

[eelpis]

I had a discussion with a friend the other day, he mentioned that an aquaintance, who had lobbied for the TLM a very long time was not fan of Humanae Vitae.
I’ve alway had the impression that trads often are very supportive of the Church’s teaching in this regard so I was quite surprised.

Is this impression of mine false?

How many of ordinary Catholics practise the Church’s teaching?
How many of Traditionalists?

 

[Tommy_Joe]

I had a discussion with a friend the other day, he mentioned that an aquaintance, who had lobbied for the TLM a very long time was not fan of Humanae Vitae.
I’ve alway had the impression that trads often are very supportive of the Church’s teaching in this regard so I was quite surprised.

Is this impression of mine false?

How many of ordinary Catholics practise the Church’s teaching?
How many of Traditionalists?

That has been my impression also. An impression based on discussions with my fellow parishoners.

For years I had no choice but to attend a Novus Ordo Church and be friends with, shall we say; non-traditional Catholics. Assuming from the conversations I had with them as well as the number of children they had, most of them including myself; practiced birth control.

Since learning the error of my ways and being led to the Traditional Community that I’m now a member of, I see the other side of the coin all to clearly. The discussions are many times of the sanctity of life,…and the families are large.

 

[OnlyAmbrose]

I read a statistic somewhere (I believe it was in a CA apologetics article) that something like 80% of Catholics use contraception.

I’ve never met a traditionalist who does.

On the other hand, any time I bring up the topic with my NO-going friends I am generally regarded as a lunatic. I’ve gotten “you’re going to have to find a REALLY traditional Catholic wife. Everyone does it now.”

(I generally keep my vocation discernment to myself.)

 

[LilyM]

I may be wrong here, but I think some have problems, not with the Church teaching that artificial contraception is wrong, but that NFP is OK.

I have to admit, not being married, I’ve not really studied Humanae Vitae, but if the teaching on NFP is in there that may be where the problem lies.

I know some posters on here have argued that even NFP really shouldn’t be used by faithful Catholics.

 

[Tommy_Joe]

I read a statistic somewhere (I believe it was in a CA apologetics article) that something like 80% of Catholics use contraception.

I’ve never met a traditionalist who does.

On the other hand, any time I bring up the topic with my NO-going friends I am generally regarded as a lunatic. I’ve gotten “you’re going to have to find a REALLY traditional Catholic wife. Everyone does it now.”

(I generally keep my vocation discernment to myself.)

Don’t fall for that, “Everyone does it now.”

I did, and I’m gonna end up paying for it!

At my parish alone there are dozens of young women who I doubt seriously would agree with “Everyone does it now.”.

They’re out there. Take your time!

 

[OnlyAmbrose]

Don’t fall for that, “Everyone does it now.”

I did, and I’m gonna end up paying for it!

At my parish alone there are dozens of young women who I doubt seriously would agree with “Everyone does it now.”.

They’re out there. Take your time!

lol, thanks for the encouragement, but it’s not necessary. I don’t need to be prodded to follow the laws of the Mother Church

And I don’t think marriage is my calling anyhow.

Though I really do get concerned about my Catholic friends, boys and girls. The culture of sex, etc, is extremely strong where I’m from, and I worry about their souls.

 

[eelpis]

I may be wrong here, but I think some have problems, not with the Church teaching that artificial contraception is wrong, but that NFP is OK.

I have to admit, not being married, I’ve not really studied Humanae Vitae, but if the teaching on NFP is in there that may be where the problem lies.

I know some posters on here have argued that even NFP really shouldn’t be used by faithful Catholics.

I think the concern is that even NFP can be used imorrally.

 

[ethelzguy]

The best advice I could give, is to quit worrying about it (fertile or infertile periods) and remember the phrase “God Will Provide”.

It worked for us. Our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Our second ended in a still birth. Six successful ones after that.

The only time we really “tried” to get pregnant was after the still birth, and that was at the doctor’s suggestion.

 

[kleary]

I had a discussion with a friend the other day, he mentioned that an aquaintance, who had lobbied for the TLM a very long time was not fan of Humanae Vitae.
I’ve alway had the impression that trads often are very supportive of the Church’s teaching in this regard so I was quite surprised.

Is this impression of mine false?

How many of ordinary Catholics practise the Church’s teaching?
How many of Traditionalists?

We practice the Church’s teaching. There is no choice - deny it and you are committing mortal sin and cannot receive Holy Communion - and judgement day will come for those who are disobedient to Christ and His Church.

My wife and I were married five years and 3 months ago. Our oldest one will be five in February. We are expecting our fifth child on March 10, 2009. I am already 41, my wife is 39.

Using NFP does not work for us because my wife has hypothyroidism, which makes her cycle irregular and virtually impossible to be tracked using the sympto-thermal meathod taught in NFP.

Also, after childbirth because she is not breastfeeding (she does not produce milk also because of her thyroid condition) her period returns shortly after giving birth. The doctor told us that if we are not going to use contraception that we must wait one year after our child is born to track her cycle (this was with them not knowing of her thyroid condition that makes her fertility signs basically undetectable!)

Basically - if we do not want anymore children then we have to abstain from the marital act until my wife is in menopause.

Please pray for us - email me privately for support or any advice here…it looks like a marriage with no marital act after this next baby is born in order to prevent pregancy again. Everyone is so concerned about her health as she got pregnant only 5 months after giving birth this time…

But we continue to follow the Church’s teaching in this matter.

We have to. We know what the Church teaches and to disobey it would mean disobedience to Jesus Christ and a denial of Him. It would also put a huge unreconcilable DENT on our marriage as the Catholic Faith is the Basis and Mortar of our marriage.

Ken