Humanae Vitae (“Of Human Life”) is an encyclical issued by Pope Paul VI on July 25, 1968. Subtitled “On the Regulation of Birth”, it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding abortion, contraception, and other issues pertaining to human life.

Mainly because of its prohibition of all forms of artificial contraception, the encyclical has been controversial. The document is sometimes described as prophetic by those who believe that its predictions about the effects of contraception on society were accurate.

Pope Paul VI, saddened by the reactions to Humanae Vitae, would not issue any additional encyclicals in the remaining ten years of his pontificate.

Summary

The encyclical opens with the observation that circumstances often dictate that married couples should limit the number of children, and that the sexual act between husband and wife is still worthy even if it can be foreseen not to result in procreation. Nevertheless, it is held that the sexual act must “retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life”, and the “direct interruption of the generative process already begun” is unlawful.

Abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, is absolutely forbidden, as is sterilization, even if temporary. Similarly, every action specifically intended to prevent procreation is forbidden. This includes both chemical and barrier methods of contraception. All these are held to directly contradict the “moral order which was established by God”.

Therapeutic means which induce infertility are allowed, if they are not specifically intended for that purpose (double effect). Natural family planning methods (abstaining from intercourse during certain parts of the women's cycle) are allowed, since they take advantage of “a faculty provided by nature”.

The acceptance of artificial methods of contraception is then claimed to result in several negative consequences: a “general lowering of moral standards” resulting from sex without consequences; the danger that men may reduce women “to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of [their] own desires”; abuse of power by public authorities; and, a false sense of autonomy.

The encyclical acknowledges that “perhaps not everyone will easily accept this particular teaching”, but points out that the church cannot “declare lawful what is in fact unlawful”. The encyclical closes with an appeal to public authorities to oppose laws which undermine the natural moral law, an appeal to scientists to further study effective methods of natural birth control and appeals to doctors, nurses and priests to promote the method.

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia


To read the entire encyclical Humanae Vitae, please visit this website:

http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6humana.htm