Natural Family Planning resources available

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Crystal Painter

SALT LAKE CITY — Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a general title for ethical, natural, safe and effective methods for both achieving and avoiding pregnancy in marriage. NFP methods teach couples how to observe and interpret the wife’s signs of fertility and infertility. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, NFP methods “respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them and favor the education of an authentic freedom.” (CCC, no. 2370)

Natural Family Planning Awareness Week was July 25-31 this year, highlighting the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae, which was released July 25, 1968. This encyclical by Pope Paul VI articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood.

“To have…To hold…To honor, Natural Family Planning, Supporting God’s Gifts of Love and Life in Marriage” was the theme of this year’s National Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, an educational campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to celebrate God’s vision for marriage and promote the methods of Natural Family Planning.

The Marriage and Family Office of the Diocese of Salt Lake City joins with the U.S. bishops in highlighting the benefits of NFP as ethical methods to help married couples live God’s design for their marriages.

“I encourage all families and parish communities to avail of this opportunity to learn more about our Church’s teaching on human sexuality and God’s design for marriage. For years Natural Family Planning has been a source of God’s grace to many married couples as they live out his call to faithfulness, unity, and love, thus becoming witnesses of genuine conjugal love and responsible parenthood to others,” Bishop Oscar A. Solis said.

To learn more about the methods of NFP offered in our diocese, visit dioslc.org/offices/office-of-marriage-and-family/marriage-preparation.

The Catholic Church invites all the faithful to embrace God’s plan for married love. Learn more about these beautiful teachings that support the use of NFP in marriage at usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning/church-teaching.

Please join us in spreading the word about God’s design for married love and the gift of life as well as the methods of NFP.

For questions or information about NFP in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, contact the Marriage and Family Office: crystal.painter@dioslc.org, 801-456-9324.

Crystal Painter is director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Marriage and Family Life.