Questions for Roman Catholics ...

[McCulloch]

Many Roman Catholics disagree with specific teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. These are not areas where the church has been ambiguous or where there has been any indication that their dogma will ever change. These are issues such as the exclusively male priesthood and the reproductive issues of contraception and abortion.

If you are a Roman Catholic:
Do you agree with the Church on these issues? If so, what is your view on those Roman Catholics who disagree on these issues but remain practicing Roman Catholics? If not, why do you remain in the Roman Catholic church? Why not find a church more in line with your actual beliefs?

[ThatGirlAgain]

Contraception is a mortal sin against God. This includes NFP, or Natural Family Planning. The teaching of the Church is that any form of birth control is wrong. My position is the same. Contraception is evil by its very nature. I am reminded of the words of Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubii:

"Any use of the marriage act, in the exercise of which it is designedly deprived of its natural power of procreating life infringes on the Law of God and of nature, and those who have committed any such act are stained with the guilt of serious sin."

Natural Family Planning, which avoids intercourse during a woman’s fertile period, is perfectly acceptable to the Catholic Church.

NFP is not "Catholic" contraception. The Church endorses NFP (as seen in Humanae Vitae), and condemns contraception as harmful. Why? Because NFP, when used correctly and for good motives, is a morally good expression of responsible parenthood. NFP is one of God's gifts to us in these times to help us space our children. Everyone knows that there are times when couples must space, or delay, a new pregnancy.

NFP is always open to the gift of life. Contraception turns against our fertility and tries to sterilize it. NFP recognizes God as the Author and Sovereign of all life, and during the woman's fertile period allows Him to decide if a new person shall be conceived. Contraception pushes God out of the picture, and attempts to take complete control over the possible procreation of a new person who will live forever. NFP takes advantage of the natural rhythms of fertility and infertility. Contraception suppresses and manipulates fertility, and refuses to practice periodic abstinence.

NFP couples must practice self-mastery and self-possession for the sake of the other. They understand that real love is always self-sacrificial. They learn to express their love with a full repertoire of acts of tenderness, verbal expression and demonstrate an appreciation for the presence of the other. Contraception ignores most of these, and concentrates upon the genital dimension of spousal love.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource.php?n=1171

What Pope Paul VI said:

Neither the Church nor her doctrine is inconsistent when she considers it lawful for married people to take advantage of the infertile period but condemns as always unlawful the use of means which directly prevent conception, even when the reasons given for the later practice may appear to be upright and serious. In reality, these two cases are completely different. In the former the married couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature. In the later they obstruct the natural development of the generative process. It cannot be denied that in each case the married couple, for acceptable reasons, are both perfectly clear in their intention to avoid children and wish to make sure that none will result. But it is equally true that it is exclusively in the former case that husband and wife are ready to abstain from intercourse during the fertile period as often as for reasonable motives the birth of another child is not desirable. And when the infertile period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express their mutual love and safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this they certainly give proof of a true and authentic love.

Humanae Vitae
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_ ... ae_en.html