Here are some direct quotes from Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul VI, July 25, 1968) Vatican .
Paragraph 24: To Men of Science
We wish now to express our encouragement to men of science, who “can considerably advance the welfare of marriage and the family, along with peace of conscience, if by pooling their efforts they labor to explain more thoroughly the various conditions favoring a
proper regulation of births.”
It is particularly desirable that, according to the wish already expressed by Pope Pius XII, medical science succeed in providing a sufficiently secure basis for a regulation of birth, founded on the observance of natural rhythms. In this way, scientists and especially Catholic scientists will contribute to demonstrate in actual fact that, as the Church teaches, “a true contradiction cannot exist between the divine laws pertaining to the transmission of life and those pertaining to the fostering of authentic conjugal love.”
Paragraph 27: To Doctors and Medical Personnel
We hold those physicians and medical personnel in the highest esteem who, in the exercise of their profession, value above every human interest the superior demands of their Christian vocation. Let them persevere, therefore, in promoting on every occasion the discovery of solutions inspired by faith and right reason, let them strive to arouse this conviction and this respect in their associates.
Let them also consider as their proper professional duty the task of acquiring all of the knowledge needed in this delicate sector, so as to be able to give to those married persons who consult them wise counsel and healthy direction, such as they have a right to expect.
Some quotes from Evangelium Vitae (Pope John Paul II, March 25, 1995).
Paragraph 88: For a New Culture of Human Life
Many are the means towards this end which need to be developed with skill and serious commitment.
At the first stage of life, centres for natural methods of regulating fertility should be promoted as a valuable help to responsible parenthood, in which all individuals, and in the first place the child, are recognized and respected in their own right, and where every decision is guided by the ideal of the sincere gift of self.
Paragraph 97: For a New Culture of Human Life
The work of educating in the service of life involves the training of married couples in responsible procreation. In its true meaning, responsible procreation requires couples to be obedient to the Lord’s call and to act as faithful interpreters of His plan. This happens when the family is generously open to new lives, and when couples maintain an attitude of openness and service to life, even if, **for serious reasons and respect for the moral law, they choose to avoid a new birth for the time being or indefinitely. The moral law obliges them in every case to control the impulse of instinct and passion, and to respect the biological laws inscribed in their person. It is precisely this respect that makes legitimate, at the service of responsible procreation, the use of natural methods of regulating fertility. **From the scientific point of view, these methods are becoming more and more accurate and make it possible in practice to make choices in harmony with moral values. An honest appraisal of their effectiveness should dispel certain prejudices which are still widely held, and should convince married couples, as well as health care and social workers, of the importance of proper training in this area. The Church is grateful to those who, with personal sacrifice and often unacknowledged dedication, devote themselves to the study and spread of these methods, as well as to the promotion of education and the moral values which they presuppose.
The bolded areas are my emphasis, but you should all be able to see that the Pope(s)himself encouraged development of natural methods to regulate births. It is also of utmost importance for doctors to foster human interest and health in their patients. So where’s the confusion about NFP?
