HUMANAE VITAE ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI To His
Venerable Brothers the Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops and other Local
Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See, to the Clergy and
Faithful of the Whole Catholic World, and to All Men
of Good Will. Honored
Brothers and Dear Sons, Health and Apostolic Benediction. The
transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people
collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a
source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties
and hardships. The fulfillment
of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but
the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked
new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern
matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings. I. PROBLEM AND COMPETENCY OF THE MAGISTERIUM 2. The changes
that have taken place are of considerable importance and varied in nature. In
the first place there is the rapid increase in
population which has made many fear that world population is going to grow
faster than available resources, with the consequence that many families and
developing countries would be faced with greater hardships. This can easily
induce public authorities to be tempted to take even harsher measures to avert
this danger. There is also the fact that not only working and housing conditions
but the greater demands made both in the economic and educational field pose a
living situation in which it is frequently difficult these days to provide
properly for a large family. Also noteworthy
is a new understanding of the dignity of woman and her place in society, of the
value of conjugal love in marriage and the relationship of conjugal acts to
this love. But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man's
stupendous progress in the domination and rational organization of the forces
of nature to the point that he is endeavoring to extend this control over every
aspect of his own life—over his body, over his mind and emotions, over his
social life, and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life. New Questions 3. This new
state of things gives rise to new questions. Granted the conditions of life
today and taking into account the relevance of married love to the harmony and
mutual fidelity of husband and wife, would it not be right to review the moral
norms in force till now, especially when it is felt that these can be observed
only with the gravest difficulty, sometimes only by heroic effort? Moreover, if
one were to apply here the so called principle of totality, could it not be
accepted that the intention to have a less prolific but more rationally planned
family might transform an action which renders natural processes infertile into
a licit and provident control of birth? Could it not be
admitted, in other words, that procreative finality applies to the
totality of married life rather than to each single act? A further question is
whether, because people are more conscious today of their responsibilities, the
time has not come when the transmission of life should be
regulated by their intelligence and will rather than through the
specific rhythms of their own bodies. Interpreting the Moral Law 4. This kind of
question requires from the teaching authority of the Church a new and deeper
reflection on the principles of the moral teaching on marriage—a teaching which is based on the natural law as illuminated
and enriched by divine Revelation. No member of
the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her
magisterium to interpret the natural moral law. It is in fact
indisputable, as Our predecessors have many times declared, (l) that Jesus
Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and the other Apostles
and sent them to teach all nations His commandments, (2) constituted them as
the authentic guardians and interpreters of the whole moral law, not only, that
is, of the law of the Gospel but also of the natural law. For the
natural law, too, declares the will of God, and its faithful observance is
necessary for men's eternal salvation. (3) In carrying out
this mandate, the Church has always issued appropriate documents on the nature
of marriage, the correct use of conjugal rights, and the duties of spouses.
These documents have been more copious in recent times. (4) Special Studies 5. The
consciousness of the same responsibility induced Us to
confirm and expand the commission set up by Our predecessor Pope John XXIII, of
happy memory, in March, 1963. This commission included married couples as well
as many experts in the various fields pertinent to these questions. Its tas When the
evidence of the experts had been received, as well as the opinions and advice
of a considerable number of Our brethren in the episcopate—some of whom sent
their views spontaneously, while others were requested by Us to do so—We were
in a position to weigh with more precision all the aspects of this complex
subject. Hence We are deeply grateful to all those
concerned. The Magisterium's Reply 6. However, the
conclusions arrived at by the commission could not be considered by Us as definitive and absolutely certain, dispensing Us from
the duty of examining personally this serious question. This was all the more
necessary because, within the commission itself, there was not complete
agreement concerning the moral norms to be proposed, and especially because
certain approaches and criteria for a solution to this question had emerged
which were at variance with the moral doctrine on marriage constantly taught by
the magisterium of the Church. Consequently,
now that We have sifted carefully the evidence sent to
Us and intently studied the whole matter, as well as prayed constantly to God,
We, by virtue of the mandate entrusted to Us by Christ, intend to give Our
reply to this series of grave questions. II. DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES 7. The question
of human procreation, like every other question which
touches human life, involves more than the limited aspects specific to such
disciplines as biology, psychology, demography or sociology. It is the whole man
and the whole mission to which he is called that must
be considered: both its natural, earthly aspects and its supernatural, eternal
aspects. And since in the attempt to justify
artificial methods of birth control many appeal to the demands of married love
or of responsible parenthood, these two important realities of married life
must be accurately defined and analyzed. This is what We
mean to do, with special reference to what the Second Vatican Council taught
with the highest authority in its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today. God's Loving Design 8. Married love
particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realize that it takes
its origin from God, who "is love," (6) the Father "from whom
every family in heaven and on earth is named." (7) Marriage, then,
is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the blind evolution of
natural forces. It is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the
Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving
design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of
themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them alone, develop that union
of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the
generation and rearing of new lives. The marriage of
those who have been baptized is, in addition, invested
with the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the union of
Christ and His Church. Married Love 9. In the light of these facts the characteristic features and exigencies
of married love are clearly indicated, and it is of the highest importance to
evaluate them exactly. This love is
above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It
is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily
life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one heart and
one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment. It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal
friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no
unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience.
Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves
that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be
able to enrich the other with the gift of himself. Married love is
also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how
husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they
were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage. Though
this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents difficulties, no one has
the right to assert that it is impossible; it is, on the contrary, always
honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves not
only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage, but also that it
is the source of profound and enduring happiness. Finally, this
love is fecund. It is not confined wholly to the
loving interchange of husband and wife; it also contrives to go beyond this to
bring new life into being. "Marriage and conjugal love are by their nature
ordained toward the procreation and education of children. Children are really
the supreme gift of marriage and contribute in the highest degree to their
parents' welfare." (8) Responsible Parenthood 10. Married
love, therefore, requires of husband and wife the full awareness of their obligations
in the matter of responsible parenthood, which today, rightly enough, is much insisted upon, but which at the same time should be
rightly understood. Thus, we do well to consider responsible parenthood in the
light of its varied legitimate and interrelated aspects. With regard to
the biological processes, responsible parenthood means an awareness of, and
respect for, their proper functions. In the procreative faculty
the human mind discerns biological laws that apply to the human person. (9) With regard to
man's innate drives and emotions, responsible parenthood means that man's
reason and will must exert control over them. With regard to
physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, responsible parenthood
is exercised by those who prudently and generously decide to have more
children, and by those who, for serious reasons and with due respect to moral
precepts, decide not to have additional children for either a certain or an
indefinite period of time. Responsible
parenthood, as we use the term here, has one further essential aspect of
paramount importance. It concerns the objective moral order which was
established by God, and of which a right conscience is the true interpreter. In
a word, the exercise of responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife,
keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties toward God,
themselves, their families and human society. From this it follows that they are not free to act as they choose
in the service of transmitting life, as if it were wholly up to them to decide
what is the right course to follow. On the contrary, they are bound to ensure
that what they do corresponds to the will of God the Creator. The very nature
of marriage and its use makes His will clear, while the constant teaching of
the Church spells it out. (10) Observing the Natural Law 11. The sexual
activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one
another, through which human life is transmitted, is, as the recent Council
recalled, "noble and worthy.'' (11) It does not,
moreover, cease to be legitimate even when, for reasons independent of
their will, it is foreseen to be infertile. For its natural adaptation to the
expression and strengthening of the union of husband and wife is not thereby suppressed. The fact is, as experience shows,
that new life is not the result of each and every act
of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence
of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced
through the inherent operation of these laws. The Church, nevertheless, in
urging men to the observance of the precepts of the natural law, which it
interprets by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and
every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to
the procreation of human life. (12) 12. This
particular doctrine, often expounded by the magisterium of the Church, is based
on the inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own
initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative
significance which are both inherent to the marriage act. The reason is
that the fundamental nature of the marriage act, while uniting husband and wife
in the closest intimacy, also renders them capable of generating new life—and
this as a result of laws written into the actual nature of man and of woman. And if each of these essential qualities, the unitive and
the procreative, is preserved, the use of marriage fully retains its sense of
true mutual love and its ordination to the supreme responsibility of parenthood
to which man is called. We believe that our contemporaries are particularly
capable of seeing that this teaching is in harmony with human reason. Faithfulness to God's Design 13. Men rightly
observe that a conjugal act imposed on one's partner without regard to his or
her condition or personal and reasonable wishes in the matter, is no true act
of love, and therefore offends the moral order in its particular application to
the intimate relationship of husband and wife. If they further reflect, they
must also recognize that an act of mutual love which impairs the capacity to
transmit life which God the Creator, through specific laws, has built into it,
frustrates His design which constitutes the norm of marriage, and contradicts
the will of the Author of life. Hence to use this divine gift while depriving
it, even if only partially, of its meaning and purpose, is equally repugnant to
the nature of man and of woman, and is consequently in opposition to the plan
of God and His holy will. But to experience the gift of married love while
respecting the laws of conception is to acknowledge that one is not the master
of the sources of life but rather the minister of the design established by the
Creator. Just as man does not have unlimited dominion over his body in general,
so also, and with more particular reason, he has no such dominion over his
specifically sexual faculties, for these are concerned by their very nature
with the generation of life, of which God is the source. "Human life is
sacred—all men must recognize that fact," Our predecessor Pope John XXIII
recalled. "From its very inception it reveals the creating hand of God."
(13) Unlawful Birth Control Methods 14. Therefore
We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of
marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption
of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion,
even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of
regulating the number of children. (14) Equally to be condemned, as the
magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct
sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or
temporary. (15) Similarly
excluded is any action which either before, at the moment
of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent
procreation—whether as an end or as a means. (16) Neither is it
valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse
which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be
preferred to a greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with
procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity, and so be
qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these. Though
it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order
to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is
never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it
(18)—in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature
contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of
man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an
individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a
serious error to think that a whole married life of
otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately
contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong. Lawful Therapeutic Means 15. On the
other hand, the Church does not consider at all illicit the use of those
therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even if a foreseeable
impediment to procreation should result there from—provided such impediment is not directly intended for any motive whatsoever. (19) Recourse to Infertile Periods 16. Now as We noted earlier (no. 3), some people today raise the
objection against this particular doctrine of the Church concerning the moral
laws governing marriage, that human intelligence has both the right and
responsibility to control those forces of irrational nature which come within
its ambit and to direct them toward ends beneficial to man. Others ask on the
same point whether it is not reasonable in so many cases to use artificial
birth control if by so doing the harmony and peace of a family are better
served and more suitable conditions are provided for the education of children
already born. To this question We must give a clear
reply. The Church is the first to praise and commend the application of human
intelligence to an activity in which a rational creature such as man is so
closely associated with his Creator. But she affirms
that this must be done within the limits of the order of reality established by
God. If therefore there are well-grounded reasons for spacing births, arising
from the physical or psychological condition of husband or wife, or from
external circumstances, the Church teaches that married people may then take
advantage of the natural cycles immanent in the reproductive system and engage
in marital intercourse only during those times that are infertile, thus
controlling birth in a way which does not in the least offend the moral
principles which We have just explained. (20) Neither the
Church nor her doctrine is inconsistent when she considers it lawful for
married people to take advantage of the infertile period but condemns as always
unlawful the use of means which directly prevent
conception, even when the reasons given for the later practice may appear to be
upright and serious. In reality, these two cases are completely different. In
the former the married couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature. In
the latter they obstruct the natural development of
the generative process. It cannot be denied that in
each case the married couple, for acceptable reasons, are both perfectly clear
in their intention to avoid children and wish to make sure that none will
result. But it is equally true that it is exclusively
in the former case that husband and wife are ready to abstain from intercourse
during the fertile period as often as for reasonable motives the birth of
another child is not desirable. And when the infertile
period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express their mutual love and
safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this they certainly give
proof of a true and authentic love. Consequences of Artificial Methods 17. Responsible
men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by
the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and
plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this
course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general
lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of
human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young,
who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it
is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another
effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use
of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and,
disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere
instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her
as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection. Finally,
careful consideration should be given to the danger of
this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little
for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its
attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same
measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a
particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring
those contraceptive methods which they consider more
effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use
on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either
individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties
of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the
hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and
intimate responsibility of husband and wife. Limits to Man's Power Consequently, unless we are willing that the responsibility of
procreating life should be left to the arbitrary decision of men, we must
accept that there are certain limits, beyond which it is wrong to go, to the
power of man over his own body and its natural functions—limits, let it be
said, which no one, whether as a private individual or as a public authority,
can lawfully exceed. These limits are expressly imposed because of the reverence due to the whole human organism and its natural functions, in the light
of the principles We stated earlier, and in accordance with a correct
understanding of the "principle of totality" enunciated by Our
predecessor Pope Pius XII. (21) Concern of the Church 18. It is to be anticipated that perhaps not everyone will easily accept
this particular teaching. There is too much clamorous outcry against the voice
of the Church, and this is intensified by modern means
of communication. But it comes as no surprise to the
Church that she, no less than her divine Founder, is destined to be a
"sign of contradiction." (22) She does not, because
of this, evade the duty imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly
the entire moral law, both natural and evangelical. Since the
Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their arbiter—only
their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right for her to declare
lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its very nature, is always
opposed to the true good of man. In preserving
intact the whole moral law of marriage, the Church is
convinced that she is contributing to the creation of a truly human civilization.
She urges man not to betray his personal responsibilities by putting all his
faith in technical expedients. In this way she defends
the dignity of husband and wife. This course of action shows that the Church,
loyal to the example and teaching of the divine Savior, is sincere and
unselfish in her regard for men whom she strives to help even now during this
earthly pilgrimage "to share God's life as sons of the living God, the
Father of all men." (23) III. PASTORAL DIRECTIVES 19. Our words would not be an adequate expression of the thought and
solicitude of the Church, Mother and Teacher of all peoples, if, after having
recalled men to the observance and respect of the divine law regarding
matrimony, they did not also support mankind in the honest regulation of birth
amid the difficult conditions which today afflict families and peoples. The Church, in fact,
cannot act differently toward men than did the Redeemer. She knows their
weaknesses, she has compassion on the multitude, she
welcomes sinners. But at the same time she cannot do
otherwise than teach the law. For it is in fact the law of human life restored
to its native truth and guided by the Spirit of God. (24)
Observing the Divine Law. 20. The
teaching of the Church regarding the proper regulation of birth is a
promulgation of the law of God Himself. And yet there
is no doubt that to many it will appear not merely difficult but even
impossible to observe. Now it is true that like all good things which are
outstanding for their nobility and for the benefits which
they confer on men, so this law demands from individual men and women, from
families and from human society, a resolute purpose and great endurance. Indeed it cannot be observed unless God comes to their help
with the grace by which the goodwill of men is sustained and strengthened. But to those who consider this matter diligently it will
indeed be evident that this endurance enhances man's dignity and confers
benefits on human society. Value of Self-Discipline 21. The right
and lawful ordering of birth demands, first of all,
that spouses fully recognize and value the true blessings of family life and
that they acquire complete mastery over themselves and their emotions. For if
with the aid of reason and of free will they are to control their natural
drives, there can be no doubt at all of the need for self-denial. Only then
will the expression of love, essential to married life, conform to right order.
This is especially clear in the practice of periodic continence.
Self-discipline of this kind is a shining witness to the chastity of husband
and wife and, far from being a hindrance to their love of one another,
transforms it by giving it a more truly human character. And
if this self-discipline does demand that they persevere in their purpose and
efforts, it has at the same time the salutary effect of enabling husband and
wife to develop to their personalities and to be enriched with spiritual
blessings. For it brings to family life abundant fruits of tranquility and
peace. It helps in solving difficulties of other kinds. It fosters in husband
and wife thoughtfulness and loving consideration for one another. It helps them
to repel inordinate self-love, which is the opposite of charity. It arouses in
them a consciousness of their responsibilities. And finally,
it confers upon parents a deeper and more effective influence in the education
of their children. As their children grow up, they develop a right sense of
values and achieve a serene and harmonious use of their mental and physical
powers. Promotion of Chastity 22. We take
this opportunity to address those who are engaged in education and all those whose right and duty it is to provide for the common good of
human society. We would call their attention to the need to create an
atmosphere favorable to the growth of chastity so that true liberty may prevail
over license and the norms of the moral law may be fully
safeguarded. Everything therefore in the modern means of social communication which
arouses men's baser passions and encourages low moral standards, as well as
every obscenity in the written word and every form of indecency on the stage
and screen, should be condemned publicly and unanimously by all those who have
at heart the advance of civilization and the safeguarding of the outstanding
values of the human spirit. It is quite absurd to defend this kind of
depravity in the name of art or culture (25) or by pleading the liberty which may be allowed in this field by the public
authorities. Appeal to Public Authorities 23. And now We wish to speak to rulers of nations. To you most of all is
committed the responsibility of safeguarding the common good. You can
contribute so much to the preservation of morals. We beg of you, never allow
the morals of your peoples to be undermined. The family is the primary unit in
the state; do not tolerate any legislation which would
introduce into the family those practices which are opposed to the natural law
of God. For there are other ways by which a government can and should solve the
population problem—that is to say by enacting laws which will assist families
and by educating the people wisely so that the moral law and the freedom of the
citizens are both safeguarded. Seeking True Solutions We are fully
aware of the difficulties confronting the public authorities in this matter,
especially in the developing countries. In fact, We
had in mind the justifiable anxieties which weigh upon them when We published
Our encyclical letter Populorum Progressio. But now
We join Our voice to that of Our predecessor John XXIII of venerable memory,
and We make Our own his words: "No statement of the problem and no
solution to it is acceptable which does violence to man's essential dignity;
those who propose such solutions base them on an utterly materialistic conception
of man himself and his life. The only possible solution to this question is one
which envisages the social and economic progress both of individuals and of the
whole of human society, and which respects and promotes true human
values." (26) No one can, without being grossly unfair,
make divine Providence responsible for what clearly seems to be the result of
misguided governmental policies, of an insufficient sense of social justice, of
a selfish accumulation of material goods, and finally of a culpable failure to
undertake those initiatives and responsibilities which would raise the standard
of living of peoples and their children. (27) If only all governments which were able would do what some are already
doing so nobly, and bestir themselves to renew their efforts and their
undertakings! There must be no relaxation in the programs of mutual aid between
all the branches of the great human family. Here We
believe an almost limitless field lies open for the activities of the great
international institutions. To Scientists 24. Our next
appeal is to men of science. These can "considerably advance the welfare
of marriage and the family and also peace of conscience, if by pooling their
efforts they strive to elucidate more thoroughly the conditions favorable to a
proper regulation of births." (28) It is supremely desirable, and this was also the mind of Pius XII, that medical science should
by the study of natural rhythms succeed in determining a sufficiently secure
basis for the chaste limitation of offspring. (29) In this way scientists,
especially those who are Catholics, will by their
research establish the truth of the Church's claim that "there can be no
contradiction between two divine laws—that which governs the transmitting of
life and that which governs the fostering of married love." (30) To Christian Couples 25. And now We turn in a special way to Our own sons and daughters, to
those most of all whom God calls to serve Him in the state of marriage. While the Church does indeed hand on to her children the inviolable
conditions laid down by God's law, she is also the herald of salvation and
through the sacraments she flings wide open the channels of grace through which
man is made a new creature responding in charity and true freedom to the design
of his Creator and Savior, experiencing too the sweetness of the yoke of
Christ. (31) In humble
obedience then to her voice, let Christian husbands and wives be mindful of
their vocation to the Christian life, a vocation which, deriving from their
Baptism, has been confirmed anew and made more
explicit by the Sacrament of Matrimony. For by this sacrament they are strengthened and, one might almost say, consecrated to
the faithful fulfillment of their duties. Thus will they
realize to the full their calling and bear witness as becomes them, to Christ
before the world. (32) For the Lord has entrusted to them the task of making
visible to men and women the holiness and joy of the law which united
inseparably their love for one another and the cooperation they give to God's
love, God who is the Author of human life. We have no wish
at all to pass over in silence the difficulties, at times very great, which
beset the lives of Christian married couples. For them, as indeed for every one
of us, "the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life."
(33) Nevertheless it is precisely the hope of that life which, like a brightly
burning torch, lights up their journey, as, strong in spirit, they strive to
live "sober, upright and godly lives in this world," (34) knowing for
sure that "the form of this world is passing away." (35) Recourse to God For this reason husbands and wives should take up the burden appointed
to them, willingly, in the strength of faith and of that hope which "does
not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through
the Holy Spirit who has been given to us ~}36 Then let them implore the help of
God with unremitting prayer and, most of all, let them draw grace and charity from
that unfailing fount which is the Eucharist. If, however, sin still
exercises its hold over them, they are not to lose heart. Rather must they,
humble and persevering, have recourse to the mercy of God, abundantly bestowed
in the Sacrament of Penance. In this way, for sure,
they will be able to reach that perfection of married life
which the Apostle sets out in these words: "Husbands, love your
wives, as Christ loved the Church. . . Even so
husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife
loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes
it, as Christ does the Church. . . This is a great mystery, and I mean in
reference to Christ and the Church; however, let each one of you love his wife
as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (37) Family Apostolate 26. Among the
fruits that ripen if the law of God be resolutely obeyed, the most precious is
certainly this, that married couples themselves will often desire to
communicate their own experience to others. Thus it comes about that in the
fullness of the lay vocation will be included a novel and outstanding form of
the apostolate by which, like ministering to like, married couples themselves
by the leadership they offer will become apostles to other married couples. And surely among all the forms of the Christian apostolate
it is hard to think of one more opportune for the present time. (38) To Doctors and Nurses 27. Likewise we hold in the highest esteem those doctors and members of the nursing
profession who, in the exercise of their calling, endeavor to fulfill the
demands of their Christian vocation before any merely human interest. Let them
therefore continue constant in their resolution always to support those lines
of action which accord with faith and with right
reason. And let them strive to win agreement and
support for these policies among their professional colleagues. Moreover, they
should regard it as an essential part of their skill to make themselves fully
proficient in this difficult field of medical knowledge. For then, when married
couples ask for their advice, they may be in a position to give them right
counsel and to point them in the proper direction. Married couples have a right
to expect this much from them. To Priests 28. And now,
beloved sons, you who are priests, you who in virtue of your sacred office act
as counselors and spiritual leaders both of individual men and women and of
families—We turn to you filled with great confidence.
For it is your principal duty—We are speaking especially to you who teach moral
theology—to spell out clearly and completely the Church's teaching on marriage.
In the performance of your ministry you must be the
first to give an example of that sincere obedience, inward as well as outward,
which is due to the magisterium of the Church. For, as you know, the pastors of
the Church enjoy a special light of the Holy Spirit in teaching the truth. (39)
And this, rather than the arguments they put forward, is why you are bound to
such obedience. Nor will it escape you that if men's peace of soul and the
unity of the Christian people are to be preserved, then it is of the utmost
importance that in moral as well as in dogmatic theology all should obey the
magisterium of the Church and should speak as with one voice. Therefore We make Our own the anxious words of the great Apostle
Paul and with all Our heart We renew Our appeal to you: "I appeal to you,
brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that
there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and
the same judgment." (40) Christian Compassion 29. Now it is an outstanding manifestation of charity toward souls to omit
nothing from the saving doctrine of Christ; but this must always be joined with
tolerance and charity, as Christ Himself showed in His conversations and
dealings with men. For when He came, not to judge, but to save the world, (41)
was He not bitterly severe toward sin, but patient and abounding in mercy
toward sinners? Husbands and
wives, therefore, when deeply distressed by reason of
the difficulties of their life, must find stamped in the heart and voice of
their priest the likeness of the voice and the love of our Redeemer. So spea To Bishops 30. And now as We come to the end of this encyclical letter, We turn Our
mind to you, reverently and lovingly, beloved and venerable brothers in the
episcopate, with whom We share more closely the care of the spiritual good of
the People of God. For We invite all of you, We implore you, to give a lead to
your priests who assist you in the sacred ministry, and to the faithful of your
dioceses, and to devote yourselves with all zeal and without delay to
safeguarding the holiness of marriage, in order to guide married life to its
full human and Christian perfection. Consider this mission as one of your most
urgent responsibilities at the present time. As you
well know, it calls for concerted pastoral action in every field of human
diligence, economic, cultural and social. If simultaneous progress is made in
these various fields, then the intimate life of parents and children in the
family will be rendered not only more tolerable, but
easier and more joyful. And life together in human
society will be enriched with fraternal charity and made more stable with true
peace when God's design which He conceived for the world is faithfully
followed. A Great Work 31. Venerable
brothers, beloved sons, all men of good will, great indeed is the work of
education, of progress and of charity to which We now summon all of you. And this We do relying on the unshakable teaching of the
Church, which teaching Peter's successor together with his brothers in the
Catholic episcopate faithfully guards and interprets. And
We are convinced that this truly great wor Given at St.
Peter's, Rome, on the 25th day of July, the feast of St. James the Apostle, in
the year 1968, the sixth of Our pontificate. PAUL VI NOTES LATIN TEXT: Acta
Apostolicae Sedis, 60 (1968), 481-503. ENGLISH
TRANSLATION: The Pope Speaks, 13 (Fall. 1969), 329-46. REFERENCES: (1) See Pius IX, encyc. letter Oui pluribus: Pii IX P.M. Acta, 1,
pp. 9-10; St. Pius X encyc. letter Singulari quadam: AAS 4 (1912), 658;
Pius XI, encyc.letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 579-581; Pius XII,
address Magnificate Dominum to the episcopate of the Catholic World: AAS
46 (1954), 671-672; John XXIII, encyc. letter Mater et Magistra:
AAS 53 (1961), 457. (2) See Mt
28. 18-19. (3) See Mt
7. 21. (4) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Leo XIII,
encyc.letter Arcanum: Acta Leonis XIII, 2 (1880), 26-29; Pius XI,
encyc.letter Divini illius Magistri: AAS 22 (1930), 58-61; encyc.
letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 545-546; Pius XII, Address to
Italian Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi di Pio
XII, VI, 191-192; to Italian Association of Catholic Midwives: AAS 43
(1951), 835-854; to the association known as the Family Campaign, and other
family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; to 7th congress of International
Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]; John XXIII,
encyc.letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 446-447 [TPS VII,
330-331]; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
World of Today, nos. 47-52: AAS 58 (1966), 1067-1074 [TPS XI, 289-295];
Code of Canon Law, canons 1067, 1068 §1, canon 1076, §§1-2. (5) See Paul
VI, Address to Sacred College of Cardinals: AAS 56 (1964), 588 [TPS IX,
355-356]; to Commission for the Study of Problems of Population, Family and
Birth: AAS 57 (1965), 388 [TPS X, 225]; to National Congress of the Italian
Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology: AAS 58 (1966), 1168 [TPS XI, 401-403]. (6) See 1 Jn 4. 8. (7) Eph 3. 15. (8) Second (9) See (10) See Second
Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of
Today, nos . 50- 5 1: AAS 58 ( 1
966) 1070-1073 [TPS XI, 292-293]. (11) See ibid., no. 49: AAS 58 (1966), 1070 [TPS XI, 291-292]. (12) See Pius
XI. encyc. letter Casti connubi: AAS 22 (1930),
560; Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 843. (13) See encyc.
letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447
[TPS VII, 331]. (14) See Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Pius XI,
encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 562-564; Pius XII, Address
to Medico-Biological Union of St. Luke: Discorsi e radiomessaggi, VI,
191-192; Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 842-843; Address to Family
Campaign and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 857-859; John XXIII,
encyc. letter Pacem in terris: AAS 55 (1963), 259-260 [TPS IX, 15-16];
Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World of
Today, no. 51: AAS 58 (1966), 1072 [TPS XI, 293]. (15) See Pius
XI, encyc. letter Casti connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 565; Decree of the Holy
Office, (1951), 843-844; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS
VI, 394-395]. (16) See
Council of Trent Roman Catechism, Part II, ch. 8; Pius XI, encyc. letter Casti
connubii: AAS 22 (1930), 559-561; Pius XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43
(1951), 843; to the Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958), 734-735 [TPS VI,
394-395]; John XXIII, encyc.letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447
[TPS VII, 331]. (17) See Pius
XII, Address to National Congress of Italian Society of the (18) See Rom
3. 8. (19) See Pius
XII, Address to 26th Congress of Italian Association of Urology: AAS 45 (1953),
674-675; to Society of Hematology: AAS 50 (1958),
734-735 [TPS VI, 394-395]. (20) See Pius
XII, Address to Midwives: AAS 43 (1951), 846. (21) See Pius
XII, Address to Association of Urology: AAS 45 (1953), 674-675; to leaders and
members of Italian Association of Cornea Donors and Italian Association for the
Blind: AAS 48 (1956), 461-462 [TPS III, 200-201]. (22) Lk 2. 34. (23) See Paul Vl, encyc. letter Populorum progressio: AAS 59 (1967),
268 [TPS XII, 151]. (24) See Rom
8. (25) See Second
(26) Encyc.
letter Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 447
[TPS VII, 331]. (27) See encyc.
letter Populorum progressio, nos. 48-55: AAS 59 (1967), 281-284 [TPS
XII, 160-162]. (28) Second (29) Address to
Family Campaign and other family associations: AAS 43 (1951), 859. (30) Second (31) See Mt
11. 30. (32) See Second
(33) Mt 7. 14; see Heb 12.
11. (34) See Ti
2. 12. (35) See 1 Cor
7. 31. (36) Rom
5. 5. (37) Eph 5. 25, 28-29, 32-33. (38) See Second
Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, nos. 35, 41: AAS
57 (1965), 40-45 [TPS X, 382-383, 386-387; Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the World of Today, nos. 48-49: AAS 58 (1966),1067-1070 [TPS XI,
290-292]; Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, no. 11: AAS 58 (1966),
847-849 [TPS XI, 128-129]. (39) See Second
(40) 1 Cor
1. 10. (41) See Jn
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