conan@twinkies.berkeley.edu (David Cruz-Uribe) (02/27/91)
In article <Feb.25.10.07.40.1991.2563@athos.rutgers.edu> bjstaff@zds-ux.zds.com (Brad Staff) writes: >I am interested in understanding the Roman Catholic Church's >positions on contraception. I assume the RCC has published >official documents outlining these positions. Does anyone know >the titles of these documents, and where one might buy/borrow >them? The principle statement by the Catholic Church on contraception is an encyclical by Pope Paul VI entitled "Humani Vitae". This was issued in the mid-sixties. However, be warned that this document is quite difficult to follow without placing it in the context of the debate which preceded it. A good, though admittedly biased source for this is a book published by the National Catholic Reporter (entitled, I believe, "The Birth Control Debate"). This book contains the minority and majority reports of the papal commission established to re-evaluate the birth control question. Of relevance is a prior encyclical by Pius XI entitled "Costa Connubi", which was issued in the 1920's (I believe) in response to the the decision by the Anglican church permiting artificial birth control. An exhaustive history of the Church's teaching on birth control is contained in a book entitled "Contraception" by someone named Noonan. (Title and name may both be incorrect, but they are in the ballpark.) Pope John Paul II has also written extensively on this issue, setting it into the broader context of a theology of marriage. I'm afraid I can't give any specific references beyond this. I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions, let me know. Yours in Christ, David Cruz-Uribe, SFO
jhpb@granjon.garage.att.com (03/01/91)
Brad Staff wrote:
I am interested in understanding the Roman Catholic Church's
positions on contraception. I assume the RCC has published
official documents outlining these positions. Does anyone know
the titles of these documents, and where one might buy/borrow
them?
Two of the primary ones are the following encyclical letters:
Casti Connubii, on Christian marriage, Pius XI, 1930
Humanae Vitae, on the regulation of birth, Paul VI, 1968
Humanae Vitae is in the 2nd volume of Fr. Austin Flannery's Vatican II
collection, available in just about every Catholic bookstore I've been
into. Any Catholic university library will probably have a copy of both
encyclicals. You can also probably get them from the Daughters of St.
Paul (617-522-8911, Boston, Mass., according to one encyclical I have),
who sell many encyclicals, and if all else fails, I have copies of both.
Joe Buehler