Tag Archives: sacrament

Christopher West in Pittsburgh

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Those reading and commenting on my series of posts about NFP might be interested in this.

God, Sex and the Meaning of Life: An Introduction to Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body

Christopher West
Wednesday, April 5, 2006 7:30 p.m.
Many think they understand what the church teaches about the body and the relationship between man and woman. However, the deeper reasons – the why of these teachings – are not well understood. The human body is meant to be a sign of God’s own life and love in the world. Join Christopher West for a thought provoking presentation that will enrich your understanding of human sexuality and the spiritual power it contains.

Christopher West teaches the theology of the body at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver and at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Melbourne, Australia. He also serves as the Theology of the Body Staff Advisor for the GIFT Foundation. His books, extensive lecturing, numerous tapes, and his radio and TV appearances have sparked an international groundswell of interest in John Paul II’s theology of the body. He is married to Wendy and has three children.

Comments and Questions:  Diocese of Pittsburgh Department for Communications

Investigating NFP: Newman’s Prayer for Seekers

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Since my motives have been questioned on multiple occasions throughout this series, I’ve decided to post the following prayer by John Henry Newman for use by myself and anyone else who is struggling with the Church’s teachings regarding periodic abstinence.  (Fedora Tip: Pontifications)

O my God, I confess that Thou canst enlighten my darkness—confess that Thou only canst. I wish my darkness to be enlightened. I do not know whether Thou wilt; but that Thou canst, and that I wish, are sufficient reasons for me to ask what Thou at least hast not forbidden my asking. I hereby promise Thee that, by Thy grace which I am seeking, I will embrace whatever I at length feel certain is the truth, if ever I come to be certain. And by Thy grace I will guard against all self deceit which may lead me to take what nature would have, rather than what reason approves. Amen.

Investigating NFP: Pius XI

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Click here to read the previous post in this series.

It’s time to get our hands dirty by digging into the writings of recent popes to find out what they had to say about contraceptive issues. Let’s start with Pius XI’s 1930 Casti Connubii, which was written in response to the Anglican Communion’s decision that year to permit artificial contraception within marriage (general acceptance came later).

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Investigating NFP: Preface

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Recently, all hell broke loose (At least, that’s what I call 100+ comments on a small-time blog like mine!) when one of my contributors wrote a post questioning the Church’s position on NFP. Rather than taking the more common stance that NFP puts undue burden on couples and artificial contraception should be permitted, Lightwave seemed to be suggesting that NFP is on a moral plane with certain artificial methods of birth control. I found myself siding with Lightwave, if not with the same tone or delivery, at least with similar sentiment. Neither of us could not understand how NFP does not frustrate "the procreative potential of the marriage act". Furthermore, the arguments that NFP is somehow not a contraceptive because it is natural and involves the omission of an act, rather than the commission of one, seemed spurious. In order to alleviate my ignorance, I’ve decided to find out what the learned teachers and evangelizers of NFP had to say in defense of the practice. I began with Couple to Couple League International (CCLI). They seemed as competitent in this area as any organization I could find. They are well-known and well-respected.

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The Demography Wars (Dance Mix)

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Following Mark Steyn’s excellent expose of the affluent West’s demographic suicide in It’s the Demography, Stupid, Phillip Longman presents an intruiguing piece at Foreign Policy entitled The Return of Patriarchy. Longman writes:

"Throughout the broad sweep of human history, there are many examples of people, or classes of people, who chose to avoid the costs of parenthood. Indeed, falling fertility is a recurring tendency of human civilization. Why then did humans not become extinct long ago? The short answer is patriarchy."

For those who equate patriarchy with misogyny, go get an education. For those who think of parenthood more as a consumer choice (wittingly or otherwise) than a sacrificial commitment to transcendant goods, go take a peek at your future.

Update 03/19/06:  Annie Gottlieb (Ambivablog) has tossed in her two cents on this matter.