Pope Praises 1968 Document Condemning Contraception

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Abortion;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 13 May 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday said that the Roman Catholic Church's teachings on birth control are complicated but that the church's 1968 document that condemned contraception use is laudable, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports. Benedict was giving a speech to mark the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's 1968 "Humanae vitae," which translates to "On Human Life" -- a document that prohibits Catholics from using "artificial birth control" -- according to the AP/Herald Tribune.

Benedict said that teaching Catholics about the document "isn't easy" but added, "The truth expressed in 'Humanae vitae' doesn't change; on the contrary, in the light of new scientific discoveries it is ever more up to date." He said, "No mechanical technique can substitute for the act of love that two married people exchange as a sign of greater mystery" (D'Emilio, AP/International Herald Tribune, 5/10). The pope said he hopes young people will be "able to learn the true meaning of love and prepare for it with proper sex education."

Benedict also warned against sex becoming a drug and the human body being seen only as an object, Agence France-Presse reports. Losing sight of the connection between body and soul could mean "losing the value of a person and falling prey to the serious danger of seeing the body as an object that can be bought and sold," the pope said (Agence France-Presse, 5/10).

Kan. Bishop Urges Gov. Sebelius To Stop Receiving Communion

In related news, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, head of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, recently said that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) should not receive Holy Communion because of her support for abortion rights, the Kansas City Star reports. Naumann in a column in the Catholic newspaper Leaven called on Sebelius to take the "necessary steps for amendment of her life," including a confession, a public apology and a promise to "undo the damage" from her support of abortion rights. Sebelius spokesperson Nicole Corcoran said that the governor had not seen Naumann's column but noted that "receiving Communion has not been a problem in the past for" the governor (Bullers, Kansas City Star, 5/10).

Naumann said he wrote to Sebelius in August 2007 asking her to not receive Communion. Naumann said that he recently learned Sebelius had received Communion, so he wrote to her again and asked her to respect his original request and "not require from me any additional pastoral actions."

Naumann wrote that the "spiritually lethal message, communicated by [Sebelius], as well as many other high-profile Catholics in public life, has been in effect: 'The church's teaching on abortion is optional.'" According to Naumann, Sebelius' veto last month of an abortion-related bill showed a lack of respect to Kansas lawmakers and residents, who are embarrassed that Kansas "has become infamous for being the late-term abortion center for the Midwest" (Hanna, AP/Topeka Capital-Journal, 5/10).

According to the Star, Naumann could prohibit priests from allowing Sebelius to receive Communion, but he is not considering that option. Instead, Naumann said he hopes Sebelius will do the "right thing." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2004 said that Catholic lawmakers who support abortion rights were "cooperating in evil" and that their bishops could decide whether to deny them Communion, the Star reports (Kansas City Star, 5/10).

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