Humanae Vitae Project

On May 30, the Vatican issued a new document  sounding an alarm about declining birth rates worldwide. The text also reaffirms the Church’s teaching on family, marriage, and children, as contained in Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical of St. Paul VI. The document, entitled  Global Family Compact,  is an initiative of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences and the Vatican’s Dicastery for …

A Firm, and Welcome, Reminder of the Importance of Humanae Vitae Read More »

Last week, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, S.J., Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, delivered a resounding defense of Humanae Vitae’s affirmation of the harmony of freedom and nature in the human person.  “The prophetic nature of the encyclicalis grounded in the integral anthropological vision of what the truth of love, sexuality, …

Humanae Vitae: bold, prophetic, and increasingly relevant Read More »

Dr. John Haas, our old friend and longtime President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, gave the Commencement Address at Christendom College on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. He told the graduates of his fascinating visit with Pope Benedict XVI in 2014, and the pope’s warning about gender ideology and the danger it …

Moral theologian: Benedict XVI called gender ideology ‘the ultimate rebellion against God’ Read More »

When addressing public policy, America’s Catholic bishops spend most of their time embracing prudential positions on secular issues. When they do address questions dealing with the Church’s moral teaching, however, they are usually right on target.  Consider “The Pill”: As we pointed out two weeks ago, a new study has shown that “Every type of hormonal contraception dramatically …

The Pill’s Health Risks and Moral Implications: Catholic Bishops Weigh In on Public Policy Read More »

A new report by family scholars Scott Stanley and Galena Rhoads presents data showing that cohabitation before marriage significantly increases the likelihood of divorce. The study of 1,621 U.S. couples who married between 2010 and 2019 found that 34 percent of those who cohabited before engagement or marriage ended up divorcing, compared to 23 percent …

No, cohabitation is still not a good preparation for marriage Read More »

The Population Research Institute has warned for years that the contraceptive pill is dangerous to a woman’s health. A growing body of research has proven that finding. Here’s the latest.”Every type of hormonal contraception dramatically increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, a new study has found. Scientists have previously linked the combined contraceptive …

The Pill causes breast cancer, says Oxford study Read More »

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City contributes a moving pastoral letter spelling out the profound errors of “Gender Ideology” and the steps that parents can take to protect their children from its dangers. “Pope Francis has noted that ‘today children — children — are taught in school that everyone can choose his or her …

On the Unity of the Body and Soul: Accompanying Those Experiencing Gender Dysphoria Read More »

It’s true that many prelates and priests don’t often teach the principles of marriage, family, and children that Humanae Vitae so beautifully illuminates. While we should encourage them to do more, how much emphasis to place on the encyclical is ultimately a prudential decision.  However, when a prelate – especially a senior Vatican cardinal – denies fundamental …

Fr. Murray slams Vatican cardinal for rejecting Church teaching on sodomy: ‘He should resign’ Read More »

Raymond Cardinal Burke, the former head of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s highest court, condemned the move as an effort to use the Church to push an anti-Catholic ideology. Cardinal Gerhard Muller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was blunt: “If they are acting or going absolutely, directly against the …

‘Sins against Christ’: Cdls. Burke, Müller slam German bishops’ approval of same-sex ‘blessings’ Read More »

In August 2021, we welcomed the appearance of “A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Ideology” promulgated by Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge. The document, offers a welcome voice of clarity and truth that addresses the Culture of Death’s efforts to redefine both reality and morality regarding God’s creation of man, “male and female He created them” (Genesis 5:2). Today we …

Doctrinal Note on the Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation of the Human Body Read More »