Pope Criticizes Birth Control As Poor Economic Policy

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 09 Jul 2009 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Pope Benedict XVI, as part of a 144-page encyclical critiquing the international economic system, argues that the use of birth control is poor economic policy, the Washington Post reports. According to the document, birth control is not only immoral but also harmful to the economy because it narrows the "brain pool" of qualified labor. The document makes similar arguments about abortion.

The document was released ahead of Wednesday's Group of Eight industrialized nations summit, which will focus on the world economy. According to the Post, the timing of the document's release indicates that Benedict "aims to insert his voice into that discussion by focusing on the moral underpinnings of the meltdown" (Salmon, Washington Post, 7/8).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

• Additional
• References
• Citations