Humanae Vitae is not going away

Every use of artificial contraception continues to be, as it has always been, an intrinsic moral evil. The official promulgation of this fact in the encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968 simply continued the Church's consistent ethic of life.

"The Truth of Humanae Vitae does not change

"My Predecessor of venerable memory, the Servant of God Paul VI, published, on July 25, 1968, the Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae. That document very soon became a sign of contradiction. Written under the light of an excruciating decision, it constitutes a significant gesture of courage in the confirmation of the continuity of the doctrine and of the Tradition of the Church. That text, often misunderstood and distorted, caused much discussion, also because it was set at the dawn of [an age of] strong dissents which marked the life of entire generations.
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"The truth expressed in Humanae Vitae does not change; rather, in light of the new scientific findings, its teaching becomes even more up to date and induces reflection upon its intrinsical value.
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"The teaching expressed by the Encyclical Humanae Vitae is not easy. It is, nonetheless, pursuant to the fundamental structure by which life has always been transmitted, since the Creation of the world, in respect of nature and in conformity with its demands. The concern for human life and the safeguard of the dignity of the person impose upon us not to leave anything untried so that it may be shared with all people the genuine truth of responsible conjugal love in full adherence to the law written in the heart of every person."

Benedict XVI
Address to the Participants of the Congress on the 40th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae
May 10, 2008


Humanae Vitae is right.
40th Anniversary, July 2008.