11 - 20 of 23 Comments

1. Thomas Lee

   9 months ago

   Thank you Fr. James for explaining the true marriage in depth. The fast and tremendous moral degrading of today's world is truly a reflection of people's seeking of selfish sexual pleasure, which unfortunately lead to a lot of social problems.

2. John Phelan

   9 months ago

   Sounds like I am from the past. I prayed for a Catholic girl when I came home from WWII and when she came, we were married after 3 months.We had 6 children who are all active Catholics. I had her for 62 yrs and never once did we even think about artificial contraception. Our last 2 were born 8 years after the others (and we were older). What would I change if I could? Nothing but more years with her in good health. but it was Gods will and I am thankful for the time He gave me..
   John Phelan

3. JeanCatherine

   9 months ago

   Nobody is forcing anything on anyone but we are trying to make sure our Catholics are informed and catechized on the subject. The Catholic Church knows its not going to inforce this on public policy and is fully aware of this but she is going to try to inform her people and make sure they understand the prophetic implications from Humanae Vitae and church teaching. This has been neglected since Paul VI worte the encyclical.
   
   She couldnt impose her will on a worldly world even if the church wanted to. She proposes is what she does.

4. Jamie

   9 months ago

   Very well written. I understanding the theology but it is difficult to practice. Perhaps it comes down to faith that God is going to provide for your family and unselfishness; as I certainly know raising children is hard work! I also love that the Church has not changed the position it has held over a couple thousand years just because of changes in society/medicine.

5. Steve

   9 months ago

   Mike, the Church isn't trying to force the US Government to do anything; it's the other way around. The Gov., through the HHS Mandate, is trying to get Catholic institutions and businesses to violate their conscience by forcing them to pay for contraceptives and abortion-causing chemicals. This is a matter of a freedom of religion, which is a violation of the 1st Amendment, and a great evil that must be overcome.

6. Regina

   9 months ago

   Unfortunately Mike, just the opposite is happening. The government is forcing it's public policy on Catholic institutions. This is an infringement of the freedom of religion. It is the government that must "Please stop trying to do so!"

7. Rob

   9 months ago

   I will believe the US church is serious about this stuff when there is zeal to teach it. Save a few websites and lay organizations, I would be willing to bet the parishes that take these teachings seriously (actual classes, homilies etc) is probably less than 5%. While I know we all have a responsibility to learn the faith, it's not suprising that these teachings remain largely unknown to Catholics.

8. Deanna

   9 months ago

   Mike,
   
   What the government is asking us faithful Catholics to do (which there are more than you think) is to pay for and provide services that we believe are intrinsically evil. If someone wants to use birth control, an abortifacient drug or desires sterilization why on earth would someone who believes that those things are morally wrong be forced to pay for or provide those services for someone else? People can go out and make their own choices about their reproduction and their sexual lives but it is BEYOND WRONG to force any private organization or religious institution to pay for or provide those services which they believe are immoral. I would never pay for or provide someone else's heroine...would you? Just to set the record straight, this is not a "healthcare" issue at all. This is a convenience and selfish issue. There is absolutely nothing unhealthy about a woman conceiving a child, carrying full term, and delivering a healthy baby...it is what female reproductive systems were made to do. However, drugs that cause the body to damage itself or work in a way that is not natural and even using surgical instruments to cut and remove parts of a female body is completely and utterly unnatural. If someone wants to utilize these drugs or have these procedures done they will just have to go to a non catholic hospital or doctor to do so. I don't see why that is such a big deal.
   
   Here is a quote from the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” Article 1, Bill of Rights.
   
   It is unconstitutional for the government to force a religious institution with very specific theological positions to abandon those positions.
   
   Please stop trying to do so!
   
   Deanna

9. Andrew M Greenwell

   9 months ago

   Marvelous article of a truth that is much needed, and which, if applied, will bring much sanity and much joy in family life.

10. abey

    9 months ago

    The reason God created man is to be in eternity like Him, called the creation by origin, no matter how much man tries to change it by his sin & indulgences, it will always be by the origin, irrespective whether the Anglicans fell for contraceptions yesteryear or today fall for Gay marriages thus following "Caesar's Convenience" instead of by the Will of God, even in his name., which invariably is not to Him but to someone else's spiritual agendas, seen in the large divorces & family breakups through false liberties. All this at what price, not learning or even believing the event at Eden & to this the Truth of Christ resonates in the words of Abraham to the rich man of the manner "For they do not believe the law & the Prophets, so how are they to believe even if Lazarus be sent to them".

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