Here is another insight from St John Paul II from Familiaris Consortio:
"Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality."
Much to say here; I will try to make it as brief as possible and in no way is this to be considered exhaustive.
To answer your question, Mat 16:18-19 and 18:18 come to mind as particularly relevant, especially for Catholics. In Mat 16:18-19, after Simon Peter's profession of faith that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus recognizes the source of the revelation and makes astonishingly consequential promises to Peter: "'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, by my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Whoa! This is one of the most momentous events in salvation history. Meditation on it cannot but overwhelm one. In Mat 18:18 Jesus extends the power to loose and to bind to the other apostles, but only Peter is the rock upon which the Church will be built and only Peter is the one who will have the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Of course the promises are fulfilled when the Church is founded on Pentecost, and the powers given to Peter and the apostles are passed on to their successors in apostolic succession, Peter's successor being the Bishop of Rome, the pope, and the other apostles successors being the other bishops.
The bishops, in communion with the successor of Peter, the pope, are tasked with "giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form [Sacred Scripture] or in the form of Tradition" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 85-87). This office is called the Magisterium and along with Sacred Scripture and Tradition make up the three pillars of the Church. And as a Catholic, you know that that Magisterium determined which of all the Christian writings floating around in the ancient world were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and thus to be included in the Canon of Sacred Scripture (the Bible) in the late fourth century. Thus, if you accept the authority of the Bible, you accept the authority of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church that, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, determined what books would be in it.
And, as you know, Christ gave us that Magisterium to "bind and loose" on matters of faith and morals that have arisen over the centuries. So though the New Testament might not have addressed contraception specifically--though citations from the NT can be found to support the Church's teaching--the Magisterium founded by God, as witnessed to in the NT, was instituted to authentically and authoritatively teach about it.
As for following one's conscience, what John Henry Cardinal Newman called "the aboriginal Vicar of Christ," "A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience" (CCC 1800). But, each person is required to form his conscience so that it corresponds to the truth and makes right rather that erroneous judgments. Without commenting on your specific case, of which I am ignorant, I can say that, sadly, I have heard of too many instances in which individual priests have counseled people to act contrary to the teachings of the Church, which is scandalous.
I don't know of any circumstance in which artificial birth control is not a sin; as the Catechism, relying on Humanae Vitae, states "'every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible' is intrinsically evil" (CCC 2370).
The same is true for termination of a pregnancy. "Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (CCC 2271) and has "the canonical penalty of excommunication" attached to it (CCC 2272). However, if an unborn child dies as a result of a physician trying to save a mother from something like an ectopic pregnancy by removing part of her fallopian tube, the termination of the pregnancy is not the intention of the act but a regrettable result and therefore not sinful.
There are many Church documents addressing these matters like Humane Vitae, Donum Vitae, etc. And there is much one can read in that regard.
Thanks. Will study this
You bet. God bless.
Excellent insights. The seeds of our callousness towards life were planted long ago and their roots run deep.
Here is another insight from St John Paul II from Familiaris Consortio:
"Thus the innate language that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory language, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality."
I am Catholic....Catholic school K to 12 grade.
I believe artificial birth control, even termination of pregnancy, is not a sin under certain circumstances.
I discussed artificial birth control with my priest many years age, and was told to "follow my conscience" due to special circumstances.
Is there anything in the New Tesament about this issue??
Much to say here; I will try to make it as brief as possible and in no way is this to be considered exhaustive.
To answer your question, Mat 16:18-19 and 18:18 come to mind as particularly relevant, especially for Catholics. In Mat 16:18-19, after Simon Peter's profession of faith that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus recognizes the source of the revelation and makes astonishingly consequential promises to Peter: "'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, by my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Whoa! This is one of the most momentous events in salvation history. Meditation on it cannot but overwhelm one. In Mat 18:18 Jesus extends the power to loose and to bind to the other apostles, but only Peter is the rock upon which the Church will be built and only Peter is the one who will have the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Of course the promises are fulfilled when the Church is founded on Pentecost, and the powers given to Peter and the apostles are passed on to their successors in apostolic succession, Peter's successor being the Bishop of Rome, the pope, and the other apostles successors being the other bishops.
The bishops, in communion with the successor of Peter, the pope, are tasked with "giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form [Sacred Scripture] or in the form of Tradition" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 85-87). This office is called the Magisterium and along with Sacred Scripture and Tradition make up the three pillars of the Church. And as a Catholic, you know that that Magisterium determined which of all the Christian writings floating around in the ancient world were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and thus to be included in the Canon of Sacred Scripture (the Bible) in the late fourth century. Thus, if you accept the authority of the Bible, you accept the authority of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church that, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, determined what books would be in it.
And, as you know, Christ gave us that Magisterium to "bind and loose" on matters of faith and morals that have arisen over the centuries. So though the New Testament might not have addressed contraception specifically--though citations from the NT can be found to support the Church's teaching--the Magisterium founded by God, as witnessed to in the NT, was instituted to authentically and authoritatively teach about it.
As for following one's conscience, what John Henry Cardinal Newman called "the aboriginal Vicar of Christ," "A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience" (CCC 1800). But, each person is required to form his conscience so that it corresponds to the truth and makes right rather that erroneous judgments. Without commenting on your specific case, of which I am ignorant, I can say that, sadly, I have heard of too many instances in which individual priests have counseled people to act contrary to the teachings of the Church, which is scandalous.
I don't know of any circumstance in which artificial birth control is not a sin; as the Catechism, relying on Humanae Vitae, states "'every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible' is intrinsically evil" (CCC 2370).
The same is true for termination of a pregnancy. "Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (CCC 2271) and has "the canonical penalty of excommunication" attached to it (CCC 2272). However, if an unborn child dies as a result of a physician trying to save a mother from something like an ectopic pregnancy by removing part of her fallopian tube, the termination of the pregnancy is not the intention of the act but a regrettable result and therefore not sinful.
There are many Church documents addressing these matters like Humane Vitae, Donum Vitae, etc. And there is much one can read in that regard.