Artifical Birth Control
If a store stocks and sells artificial birth control devices, does the owner,
if a Catholic, commits a sin?
Yes, certainly, unless the devices have some other legitimate use and that is the purpose for their being stocked and sold.
Reprinted from December 12, 1997
A candidate in an RCIA program in another diocese was told
by a priest that he could dissent from Church teaching about contraception
if he could not accept it in conscience. Is this correct?
This is not correct. Conscience, in order to be followed without sin, must be correctly formed and must conform to objective norms of morality, among which are divine laws. Artificial birth prevention is forbidden by God. A conscience that is not in agreement with God on this issue is erroneous and cannot be followed licitly. Sometimes priests are misquoted or misunderstood and perhaps that is the case here.
Reprinted from February 14, 1997
If a spouse is sterile and incapable of having children,
may a couple then continue to have a sexual relationship in their marriage?
Certainly they may. Artificial birth prevention is forbidden by God's law,
which prescribes that every marriage act must not artificially block the possibility
of its being fruitful in the conception of children. However, natural sterility,
either from old age or an other cause, does not preclude the legitimacy, goodness,
and sacredness of a couple's sexual relationship in their marriage.
Reprinted October 15, 1999
Is it
immoral for infertile couples to get involved in "in vitro" fertilization?
Is it immoral to freeze human embryos?
Yes, it is immoral. All "in vitro" fertilization in general is seriously
sinful for those who are involved in it, including the medical and technical
personnel, the couple and all who cooperate in the act. It is well to know
that there are good Catholic doctors, who abide by the teaching of God and
His church on these issues and who are often able to assist infertile couples
to have children in a morally acceptable way. Also there is one type of "gamate
transfer" that some reliable and truly Catholic theologians (but not
all) claim could fall into the realm of the morally permissible. Your parish
priest should be able to direct you to a proper source for more advice about
these issues. Those who are involved in "in virtro" fertilization
often form more human babies in test tubes or dishes than they need and they
destroy the "leftovers," thus incurring the additional dreadful
mortal sin of those abortions and the ecclesiastical excommunications that
fall upon those who do such crimes. Freezing human embryos for future use
or destruction, of course, is gravely sinful and might also involve excommunications.
Because all these issues can have myriads of aspects and circumstances involve
in them, I recommend you talk over these questions and problems with your
priest.
Reprinted March 12, 1999
Is it all right for a man to have a vasectomy if he already
is the father of several children?
Contraceptive sterilization is always a mortal sin. Sterilization is only
permitted if it is necessary for a strictly medical, therapeutic reason, not
for contraception. The number of children a man has or does not have is not
relevant to the morality of the act. Incidentally, not only the patients who
request it, but the doctors and other medical personnel who are involved in
contraceptive sterilizations, commit a grave sin.
Reprinted from January 22, 1999
Is it wrong to take the pill for non-contraceptive purposes?
I assume you meant he contraceptive pill. If it is prescribed for a genuine pathological situation and there is a very serious reason for its use and if there is no will of any kind for a contraceptive result, it possibly could be taken. Because there are so many variables in a possible answer, however, I recommend that you consult your parish priest or another priest skilled in Moral Theology and present the matter to him. Remember that the contraceptive pill often has an abortifacient effect.
Reprinted from December 24, 1998
If the Catholic Church would change its doctrine about artificial
birth contraception, wouldn't this cut down on the number of abortions?
First, the immorality of the use of artificial birth prevention is a divine law, not merely a law or discipline of the Church. Therefore, the Catholic Church cannot "change" what God wills in regard to human conduct. She can only proclaim and teach it. Second, it should be kept in mind that many forms of artificial birth contraception are really abortifcaient, that is they prevent birth by abortion. These include the "pill" (perhaps between 20 and 40 percent of the time), the IUD, etc. Third, all statistical studies, that I know about show that the more contraception there is, the more abortions there are. This could be for several reasons: Promoting contraception means promoting sexual promiscuity. Therefore, there are more "unintended and inconvenient" pregnancies. Also, it should be remembered that most abortions are done as a type of contraception. Many people look upon abortion as "just another form of birth control." Many women have repeated abortions for this reason.
Reprinted from August 28, 1998
Is it a sin to use the "morning after birth control
kit"?
Yes, it is a mortal sin. Since its use may also involve an abortion, it has
a doubly heinous character. The Second Vatican Council called abortion "an
abominable crime." Many forms of artificial birth prevention are abortifacient.
The evil Planned Parenthood organization is deeply involved in promoting the
wicked practice and artificial birth prevention and the killing of unborn
children by abortion. In the Diocese of Lincoln, any Catholics who belong
to Planned Parenthood are automatically excommunicated.
Reprinted from October 9, 1998