Vatican: Traditional Family Under Radical Attack

A new Vatican summary of teachings on sexuality, entitled Family and Human Procreation, published by The Pontifical Council for the Family, explains Church teaching on a range of controversial issues including feminism, abortion, contraception, homosexuality, same-sex unions, genetic manipulation, and divorce.

The document is described here:

The 60-page document, released on June 6, is signed by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and Bishop Karl Romer, the secretary. A synthesis of Church teachings on sexuality and reproduction, published for the 25th anniversary of the Pontifical Council, it is described in an explanatory note as "an introduction to the theme of the relationship between… the family and procreation."

This salaciously titled article quotes the document: Vatican fury at contraception, feminism and same-sex couples

This article singles out the Holy See's stance on condom use: No compromise in latest Vatican ruling on condoms

Comments

[G.M. Knowles]

Thus far I have searched every reference to this document, with numerous quotes quoted from quotes with no reference to the actual document to review.

Where is it?

[Thomistic]

It often takes time for an official English translation of Vatican documents to be promulgated. One will ilkely come soon, When it does, I will try to post it quickly.

[Isidro Beccar Varela]

Hi,
By chance I found your blog and I like it a lot. I fully agree with your traditional perspective of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Although it has been some encouraging trend in the past decade or so, the damage that was done to the Church during the 60s and the 70s was really enormous (before my time, but...) A lot of people forgot to mention that that moral laxitude was probably the main reason for the scandals that rocked the Church a couple of years ago. As a matter of fact most of the cases that were proven happened during the period where some misguided priests were teaching that anything goes. It wasn't surprising that the New York Times forgot to draw the connection.
Keep up the good work!!!
I will include you in my blogroll.

[vincero]

I can't see the Church ever being able to stop the progress of technology. God created man as a tool using, intensely curious being. One might even argue that the original sin was a submission to curiosity over obedience to God.

Man's increasing technological prowess provides new opportunities for both good and evil. The Church should strive to guide mankind in it's use of it's discoveries so that they are applied to the good and not to the detriment of society.

The Church was way behind in it's understanding of the ramifications of and it's opposition to cheap, reliable contraception. It's going to have to regroup and start teaching, from the pulpit, the value of a solid family and the dehumanizing aspects of "free Love".

[Kit]

What is the title of the document? Did I miss it somewhere?

[Tim]

The Catholic Church can be a leader in this age but it needs to argue on all levels. Take for instance the difference b/w men and women. John Paul II has written on the truth in this subject in his Encyclicals. There is plenty of science proving him correct. An example from Nature magazine “Why sex matters for neuroscience” gives a review highlighting the conciderable differences between the brains of women and men and dispells many sex “non-difference” misconceptions. When is this information coming to a text book to your local Catholic high school biology class? It will take couragous and well informed Bishops to shake things up.

[Kelly]

I obviously agree with what has been said, but the remarks about using NFP to have a smaller family really bother me. I am 36 and am getting married in November. My fiance does not make a lot of money, and I do not want to have to work or shove any future kids into daycare. We are moving to Indiana from Chicago for lower prices homes and taxes, will live modestly and will have only one car (not an SUV either), but we can't afford more than two kids. I don't think it's overly wise for me either to be having children in my mid 40's.

The church needs to recongize that there are many more couples than originally realized who legitimately can not afford a bigger family. Do they want us shoving our kids into daycare where they will get sick and lose IQ points? Do they want my future husband to work three jobs and never participate in family life? Do they want us to live in a trailer or a home in an unsafe area?

The church needs to support their supporters liks us!

[vincero]

Kelly,

You'll find little sympathy from most posters on this blog. Be a little creative...(You're a grown-up). Have the kids you can afford, be the best Christian you can, teach your children well and let God sort it out in the end.

Good luck to you both.

[G.M. Knowles]

You have my compassion.

Natural Family Planning is not easy.

But, abstinence in times when childbearing is most probable, if you think childbearing is not correct at that time, will strengthen you and embolden your spirit with creative energy.

The best way to grow a family with prudence as a Catholic is to use the strengths (tools), that Christ has left you for support.

Participate frequently in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Maintain a constant and consistent prayer and meditation life.

The Church is not callous to the difficulties of married life practiced in the world. It is not by accident that it is the one of the holiest of the Sacraments.

I assure you if you wish to follow Gods will the power will be given to you. Have hope and practice faith.

[Jack]

Kelly

You sound selfish and just perfect for this "modern" world and church that Vatican II has created. Do you also pick and chose what teachings of the church you will decide to follow?

This is the entire problem with the church today since Vatican II-it conformed to the modern secular world-full of evil and greed instead of taking the more difficult high road and asked the Catholic faithful to sacrifice,as Our Lord did on the cross, to maintain the church and reverence and respect that it once had, instead of being ridiculed by the media and cafeteria catholics alike who dont really know what the sacrament of marriage is about

Find your nearest traditional chapel and pray for forgiveness. Christ will give us all crosses-whether we willingly accept them or not

[JDM]

Kelly
You have my compassion. Even though I'm not sure what your upset about exactly. NFP, kids, getting married, being short on cash, projected family expenses...maybe a little bit of everything...

[carolg]

I don’t think Kelly is upset about anything – she is simply stating a reality that many families face. I live in Southern California where the tax burden is huge and the cost of housing prevents many from home ownership. I know of a couple who have moved over an hour away to another county for affordable housing. They have been practicing NFP for a couple years and only now can consider starting a family. I could tell you half a dozen stories like that and the shame of it is these are all the kind of people you would want having children. They are unselfish, pious people who live modestly and would want to be at home with their kids.
And then there’s someone in my situation who physically wants a break from pregnancy before jumping back into it. I had a difficult pregnancy for a number of reasons I won’t bore you with but I can tell you it’s almost 7 months later, I’ve been to the doctor a few times and they have done all they can I still need to nurse my body along for it to heal. Some women have easy pregnancies and some do not, this is just my cross. But my use of NFP will in effect make my family smaller since I’m not able to have a child every year and only have so much time.
(Please Note Jack) I’ve discussed this with a well-formed priest more than once and this is ok with Church teachings. In essence, you want to be open to life and you want to be generous with God, but you can use your intellect to discuss with your husband what you think is best for your family. Valid reasons to use NFP are: child spacing, financial, and the health of the mother or any other grave reason.
I think it’s easy for people who don’t have to live with the consequences of a particular idea to look at someone like Kelly or myself and judge us as being selfish or “modern” but we are not cafeteria Catholics, so don’t treat us as if we were using contraceptives. NFP is not easy since it can be hard to understand the system and I consider using it penitential.
So Jack – do you think I need to beg forgiveness for trying to allow my body to heal from pregnancy and birth? You can never be pregnant; you will never push a baby out of you in 20 minutes so you will never understand!!!

[Kelly]

I will pray for you GM that God may forgive you for your utter lack of humility. I highly recommend a good confession and some extra time in front of the tabernacle.

Do you have extra money to assist us in paying our mortgage? If so, I'll take it and will gladly have a few more kids. We really don't want a trailer as they're not in the greatest of neighborhoods and tend not to fare well during tornado or storm season. If you have kids, do you make your wife work and shove them in daycare, or do you have a trust fund? Daycare is a terrible sin. Because of it, my goddaughter caught an infection in her lung and almost died (at the age of 2 1/2), and my godson is at least a year behind in reading comprehension. He will have to have a tutor in first grade! My Opus Dei confessor (yes, I am in the work) said that us having no more than two kids is fine, by the way.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for your replies. Of course, my fiance and I will be using NFP (the Creighton Fertility Model) and will be abstaining during "high time". Assuming we are blessed enough to have kids, we can't wait to raise them to be saints, and I can't to be a stay at home Mom wearing Walmart clothes driving a late model car. :)

[Patriot]

The traditional family under attack must also be considered from the legal point of view. Legal view meaning "man's law" of which we are forced to live under regardless of your religious belief or faith.
The Divorce industry today is one of the most demonic institutions that exist.
It is by design set up to bring in unsuspecting couples and extract the family units net worth while leaving the men, women and children in complete financial and emotional devastation.
Pope John Paul once stated "divorce is like a festering wound that never heals" He further went on to instruct all Catholic lawyers not to deal in divorce.
The one underlining factor in most all religions is the family unit, one man, one woman and children to be raised accordingly.
Today first marriage divorce rates in most states in the USA are over 50 percent with some state nearing 60 percent. Second marriages claim an even higher rate of divorce.
The Church must take a stance and follow Pope John Paul's lead statement.
Today in America activist in the radical militant feminist movement have attached themselves to massive federal and state funding (our tax dollars) under the guise of helping battered women. These billions of dollars are used to promote the divorce industry, not help women and children.
We have the gay, lesbian and transgender movement laying claim to victim status and again attaching themselves to federal and State funding through such things as the Hate crime bill.
The same applies to the abortion industry where billions (our tax dollars) is filtered to these same people to promote "women's rights" which amounts to legal killing of babies.
The legal profession (American Bar Association) is right there backing these same family destruction policies because it shifts money from the family unit to the coffers of the legal profession.
Between the advent of no-fault divorce and the allowance of false domestic violence claims (which are based on subjective claims, not physical violence) the continued destruction of the family unit is inevitable.
Families are routinely being forcefully divorced in our family courts and the Church appears to stand by and view this as acceptable losses.
Prayer and faith in Christ will carry us but maybe it is time for all Christian soldiers to step into the secular world and face the enemy.

The following link will discuss how radical militant feminism has attached itself to corporate cause marketing. Unsuspectingly, many Americans are unaware of how the violence against womens act truly is set up to destroy good families. Great listen!

http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-16237/TS-104289.mp3