Psalm 126
Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit
of the womb.
As arrows in
the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken. Blessed is
the man that hath filled his desire with them; he shall not be confounded when
he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.
Casti Connubii
On Christian Marriage
Pope Pius XI -
1930
56. Since, therefore, openly
departing from the uninterrupted Christian tradition some recently have judged
it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the
Catholic Church, to whom God has entrusted the defense of the integrity and
purity of morals, standing erect in the midst of the moral ruin which surrounds
her, in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from
being defiled by this foul stain, raises her voice in token of her divine
ambassadorship and through Our mouth proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in
such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to
generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who
indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.
58. As regards the evil use of
matrimony, to pass over the arguments which are shameful, not infrequently
others that are false and exaggerated are put forward. Holy Mother Church very
well understands and clearly appreciates all that is said regarding the health
of the mother and the danger to her life. And who would not grieve to think of
these things? Who is not filled with the greatest admiration when he sees a
mother risking her life with heroic fortitude, that she may preserve the life
of the offspring which she has conceived? God alone, all bountiful and all
merciful as He is, can reward her for the fulfillment of the office allotted to
her by nature, and will assuredly repay her in a measure full to
overflowing.[47]
59. Holy Church knows well that not
infrequently one of the parties is sinned against rather than sinning, when for
a grave cause he or she reluctantly allows the perversion of the right order.
In such a case, there is no sin, provided that, mindful of the law of charity,
he or she does not neglect to seek to dissuade and to deter the partner from
sin. Nor are those considered as acting against nature who in the married state
use their right in the proper manner although on account of natural reasons
either of time or of certain defects, new life cannot be brought forth. For in
matrimony as well as in the use of the matrimonial rights there are also
secondary ends, such as mutual aid, the cultivating of mutual love, and the
quieting of concupiscence which husband and wife are not forbidden to consider
so long as they are subordinated to the primary end and so long as the
intrinsic nature of the act is preserved.
60. We are deeply touched by the sufferings
of those parents who, in extreme want, experience great difficulty in rearing
their children.
61. However, they should take care
lest the calamitous state of their external affairs should be the occasion for
a much more calamitous error. No difficulty can arise that justifies the
putting aside of the law of God which forbids all acts intrinsically evil.
There is no possible circumstance in which husband and wife cannot,
strengthened by the grace of God, fulfill faithfully their duties and preserve
in wedlock their chastity unspotted. This truth of Christian Faith is expressed
by the teaching of the Council of Trent. “Let no one be so rash as to assert
that which the Fathers of the Council have placed under anathema, namely, that
there are precepts of God impossible for the just to observe. God does not ask
the impossible, but by His commands, instructs you to do what you are able, to
pray for what you are not able that He may help you.”[48]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
St. Thomas Aquinas
Referring to contraception:
“Hence, after the sin of homicide whereby a human life already in existence is
destroyed, this type of sin appears to take next place, for by it the
generation of human nature is impeded.” St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa contra gentiles, 3, 122.
1917 Code of Canon Law:
“If
anyone for the sake of fulfilling sexual desire or with premeditated hatred
does something to a man or a woman, or gives something to drink, so that he
cannot generate or she cannot conceive or offspring be born, let him be held as
a murderer.” Corpus iuris canonici, eds. A. L. Richter and A. Friedberg (Leipzig: Tauchnitz, 1881), 2, 794
The Roman Catechism
(Catechism of the Council of Trent)
The Roman
Catechism: “Whoever in marriage artificially prevents conception, or
procures an abortion, commits a most serious sin: the sin of premeditated
murder.” The Roman
Catechism, Part II, Chap. 7, No. 13
