Bishop Solis' Message on Natural Family Planning Awareness Week

Intermountain Catholic

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The Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, which this year is July 24-30. It is a pastoral educational campaign to deepen the people’s understanding of the Church’s teaching on human sexuality, love in marriage, responsible parenthood and the moral way of planning families. The theme is “Called to the Joy of Love.”

 Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a general term for certain methods that are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. It is a natural means to enhance the possibility of conceiving a child as well as, with the proper intention, of spacing children according to the design of God. This means “instilling conviction and offering practical help to those who wish to live out their parenthood in a truly responsible way” (Familiaris Consortio, #3 On the Role of the Christian Family in the World, Pope John Paul II).

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pastoral statement “Married Love and the Gift of Life” explains the gift of Natural Family Planning and its blessings as well as its morally sound use within marriage. It respects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23)

 Today, many Catholics no longer remember that God entrusted men and women with the gift of procreation, that “children are the supreme gift of marriage” (Gaudium et Spes, #50). The Church teaches that couples have a noble vocation to embody God’s love in their marital life and love, for the good of each other, their families, and the larger society. This is a sacred responsibility, since from the beginning the Lord God entrusted husband and wife with the gifts of love and life!

  This week highlights the anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25, 1968), which reaffirms the Church’s teaching on married love, Christian parenthood, instruction on responsible transmission of human life, and the morality on contraception. It proclaims God’s beautiful design for married love that involves a total mutual gift of self between a man and a woman in love that is permanent, faithful, and fruitful as well as the disposition of openness to new life and trust in God’s providence to support new life.

 During this week, let us learn more and pray for all married couples and those preparing for marriage to find strength and inspiration in God’s grace to be able to live their calling according to the design of God and teachings of the Church. God bless you!