Self-giving Love

Humanae Vitae's paradoxical wisdom

Part Five in a Series

When a wedge is driven between marital love and the procreation of children (which contraception does), countless other evils inevitably follow, evils such as sex being portrayed as a commodity for recreation with no relation to marriage and children, attempts to justify homosexual acts, and the proliferation of pornography.

Already in 1968, in his encyclical HUMANAE VITAE, #17, Paul VI predicted, with accuracy, four dire consequences of rejecting the moral norms for birth regulation:

1.                           Contraceptive practices would lead to marital infidelity and a general lowering of morality;

2.                           Respect for women would decrease as they were seen increasingly as objects of pleasure rather than persons to be loved and to be treated as equals;

3.                           Governments would coerce persons to act against their consciences and moral convictions.

4.                           Couples would begin to think they had unlimited dominion over their own bodies, thereby losing a sense of cooperating with God in bringing forth new life.

All four of these tragedies have occurred in the past 40 years, just as Paul VI had foretold. Divorce and pornography have increased in manifold proportions across America and Europe, and wreaked havoc especially for children and women. Increasingly the human body is seen as an object to be manipulated, perforated, and even eliminated if it is getting in "my" way, rather than being considered a sacred vessel where God wishes to dwell. The gifts of masculinity and femininity, motherhood and fatherhood, have been twisted and distorted by detaching them from their relationship with God our Creator and His providential plan for man and woman from the beginning. While all these evils harm society and tarnish the dignity of human persons, I should like to focus especially on the Third prediction of Paul VI, the coercion by public authorities of persons to violate their consciences.

Coercion by the Government and Courts

Paul VI, in HUMANAE VITAE, #17, asked the question: "Who will prevent public authorities from favoring what they believe to be the most effective contraceptive methods and from mandating that everyone must use them, whenever they consider it necessary?"

Here in America in the last few years, legislation is being proposed in many States, and has already passed in some, which coerces pharmacists and other healthcare workers to act contrary to their consciences in dispensing materials which are contraceptive and abortafacient.

In our own State of Arizona we have also seen several legislative attempts in recent years to force healthcare professionals and hospitals to prescribe or provide "morning after pills" (i.e. emergency contraception) that can act as abortifacients.  While these legislative attempts have thus far been successfully defeated in Arizona, the pressure to deny "rights of conscience" continues to mount.

In response to these threats, the Arizona Catholic Conference worked proactively to introduce legislation this year to protect the "rights of conscience" for all healthcare providers, including pharmacists, especially in matters of contraceptives and abortifacients.  After a hard fought battle, this bill was passed by the legislature; sadly it was then vetoed by Governor Janet Napolitano. 

Healthcare providers are not the only ones currently being coerced to violate their consciences on matters of contraceptives and abortifacients.  Arizona, like many other states, has a "mandatory contraception" law requiring all employers providing prescription coverage to their employees to also include insurance coverage for contraceptives.

While the Diocese itself is exempt under Arizona law from providing this coverage, Catholic charities and Catholic hospitals are now being forced by the government to include contraceptive coverage with their insurance plans.  An attempt by the Arizona Catholic Conference to remove this requirement, at least for faith based organizations, was similarly passed by the legislature in 2003, but ultimately vetoed by our Governor.

Rights of Conscience are basis of all rights

It is indeed ironic that many supporters of "mandatory contraception" legislation advocate for a "separation of Church and

State" when persons of faith legitimately speak out on matters of public concern, but they have no problem with the government forcing Church organizations and its members to violate the tenets of their faith. The First Amendment, of course, does not advocate a separation of Church and State at all, but rather the protection of religious freedom from the State. Our founding fathers intended all persons to have the equal right to voice their opinions, including those with religious convictions. Even more, they knew that it was imperative that the State not infringe upon the religious beliefs of its citizens.

While the examples cited above provide proof of Paul VI's prophetic claims, it is important for Catholics to continue engaging our culture, defending the dignity and rights of all persons, and working on legislation that will protect the "rights of conscience" in these matters. 

We do well to remember the words of our late Holy Father John Paul II, "Respect for conscience on its journey towards the truth is increasingly perceived as the foundation of the cumulative rights of the person." (VERITATIS SPLENDOR, 31) Whether the State respects the consciences of its citizens or not serves as a barometer of its respect for their dignity and basic human rights.

Copyright 2005 The Catholic Sun. Reprinted with permission.