"Ever since the first whisper of Catholic teaching on contraception there has been upheaval, derision, and outright fabrication. Declared to be an infallible teaching at the time it was uttered in 1930—and reiterated in 1968—this teaching has created controversy where it should have created clarity. There are still many who claim it is not infallible and who even believe it is wrong.
"These purveyors of falsehood have shunned teaching the truth from the pulpit and in the classroom. And in step with this, far too many Catholic priests and bishops mislead the uninformed or are simply silent on the subject. As a result, the vast majority of Catholics really have no idea what the Church teaches. Furthermore, they rarely have the opportunity to learn or to be evangelized by couples who practice natural methods of spacing children within marriage and who give witness to the fact that this practice leads to healthier relationships and happier marriages.
"In the wake of these sad facts, American Life League’s annual THE PILL KILLS event will again focus on Catholic teaching and its importance in the quest to protect women, save preborn children, and celebrate happy marriages.
"In Casti Connubii, Pope Pius XI teaches: 'Any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.'
"This teaching was repeated by Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae in which he said, in part, '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. . . . 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.'
"Yet still the teaching is misinterpreted. Today, nearly all Catholic females, according to one survey, either use or approve of contraception. Catholic teaching is thought to be irrelevant, but in fact this trend alone should enliven pulpits with a renewed sense of obligation to teach and preach the truth.
"But as has been the case since the beginning when Christ walked the Earth and passed on to His disciples His 'hard sayings,' many turn and walk away from it in deference to polling data, political correctness, and even fear of decline in donations. None of this changes the facts: The use of contraception is sinful and destroys marriage, families, the bodies of women, and the lives of preborn babies prior to implantation in the wombs of their mothers.
"American Life League has worked tirelessly to expose the truth about the pill and the tragic consequences that its use has had on preborn babies, women, and families. Rita Diller, national director of Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP) International, says, 'The pill is marketed as sexual and economic freedom but a growing body of peer-reviewed research indicates contraceptives set women up for relationship disasters. . . . The physical, psychological, and emotional damage that women suffer because of the pill has devastated the institution of marriage, leading to soaring divorce rates. That means fatherless homes—the greatest predictor of poverty in America.'
"We encourage you to learn the facts and join us in helping our brothers and sisters see that self-absorbed attitudes about sexual relationships lead to misery and illness.
"Alternatively, we can show them how to discover why healthy people, healthy marriages, and happy babies occur when people are willing to surrender to God’s will. By doing so, they reject the contraceptive marketing hype that instantaneous sexual gratification is more important than selfless love and commitment.
"Vow today to be one of God’s disciples who willingly guides people to see that one path leads to unhappiness while the other to happiness.
"Learn more and get happy! (The Pill Kills Families, 5/16/14)According to the Guttmacher Institute (Don't be misled - it's the research wing of Planned Parenthood.): "The pill and female sterilization have been the two most commonly used methods since 1982." Instead of condemning the casual marketeering in these poisons by almost all pharmacies (including those in department stores and supermarkets), we even find these pharmacies advertised by our parishes!
I believe those of us who live in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and in our neighboring Diocese of Trenton bear a special responsibility to expose the heinous nature of the Pill. According to a Planned Parenthood directory (http://contraceptive.ippf.org/search.) and www.thepill.com, we are also home to 2 of the world's 15 "leading" manufacturers of "the Pill" (i.e., Teva of North Wales and Wyeth of St. Davids.)!
