Humanae Vitae, 50th Anniversary Edition

“The question of human procreation, like every other question which touches human life, involves more than … biology, psychology, demography or sociology. It is the whole man and the whole mission to which he is called that must be considered: both its natural, earthly aspects and its supernatural, eternal aspects.” – Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae

Pope Paul VI’s prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae, issued in 1968, presented the Church’s consistent teachings on marriage and contraception to the modern world — a world that demanded then, as it does now, that the Church adapt her teachings to itself. Standing calmly and firmly against a culture that sees contraception and abortion as individual choices, Humanae Vitae shows us what it means to share in the creative work of God. Paul VI lays out God’s plan for human sexuality, a plan that invites married couples to celebrate the incredible gifts of human love and human life.

Humanae Vitae is a loving and honest look at the benefits and the challenges of Church teaching, and a call to the Church to provide guidance and support for couples as they strive to live out God’s design for human life and marriage.