Families who have many children do not cause poverty, Pope Francis said. The main culprit is “an economic system that has removed the human person from its focus and has placed the god of money” as its priority instead, he said on Jan. 21. On the flight back from Manila to Rome, the pope had told journalists on Jan. 19 that “for the people who are the poorest, a child is a treasure” and “God knows how to help them.” But he also underlined that being a good Catholic did not mean married couples “had to be like rabbits,” that is, have children “one after the other” without any sense of responsibility. Through dialogue with each other, their pastors and church groups, each couple can seek to discern its own “parental responsibility” and recognize there are “licit” means, through natural family planning, to be “prudent” and generous in welcoming life, he said.
The Roots of Poverty
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Mike Evans
10 years 4 months ago
People who rely upon natural family planning are most often called "parents." The church is losing and has lost a whole generation or two holding firm to this outdated approach. BTW the so-called Billings method wasn't even known until 1972, at least 4 years AFTER Humanae Vitae. What did people do in the olden days?? Whatever was necessary to prevent pregnancy. Why is this sinful? Just based on the methodology? NFP has the same intent against children, but very little science or practicality.
Robert O'Connell
10 years 4 months ago
The wisest advice I ever reveived was from my Uncle, a tough Teamster who knew more about the world than most, who said, "Have as many kids as you can . . . ." He did and we did -- and that fact has brought more joy to my wife an I than anything else in our lives.
After 63 years with my bride, I must say that viewing life as an experience in God's world, with deference to the values of my parents and our Church, I think Humanae Vitae makes real sense. We had "rythym" back then, and the idea was never to avoid children; we were trying, successfully, to time birth within the capacity we believed we had as first students and then parents.
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