50th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae

This July, we celebrate the 50 ^th anniversary of the Church document Humanae Vitae. Not only has the document stood the test of time, it’s opened endless discussion about nothing less than giving of total self, according to God’s plan.

Humanae Vitae (Latin for “Of Human Life”) is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and dated July 25, 1968 that centered around the Church’s teaching about married love, responsible parenthood and the continued rejection of unnatural forms of birth control.

It’s important to note that the document was immediately met with open dissent from the laity and public opposition. Criticisms came from multiple fronts including development organizations who said it limited ways to fight population growth and to stop the spread of certain diseases.

The Second Vatican Council had ended three years earlier, and there was a good deal of confusion and upheaval from that. It was also the era of the so-called Sexual Revolution and the free-spirited late 1960s. The social context of the era had to have played a role in how the document was received by the faithful.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the document, we devoted much of the June issue of the Dakota Catholic Action (pages 6-12) to offering different views surrounding its core message.
We offer the theological viewpoint as well as those from our diocesan bishop and director of family ministry. For more consideration, three couples from different stages of single life and marriage offer their take on how the implementation of natural family planning has impacted their lives. We also feature a “his and hers” look at a couple’s complete conversion to God’s plan for their marriage after coming back from the brink of divorce. These viewpoints and stories come from within our diocese, offering relatable situations from all walks of life.

The truth of the teaching of Humanae Vitae has played out in the 50 years since its release in positive and negative ways, and the anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect and employ this teaching in our own lives and remaining faithful to God’s plan for us and our divine partnership with Him.