CSC in 1-2-3: Catholicism and Contraception

1) The Church teaching on contraceptives and the realistic application of that teaching are complex and nuanced.  To understand the relationship between Catholicism and Artificial Contraception a basic understanding of the Church's teachings on pro-life and marital love is necessary.  The Church's pro-life stance is an unfailing commitment to protect the dignity of life from conception to natural death.

2)  Often, the term pro-life is equated to anti-abortion, and while that is included in a Catholic understanding of pro-life it is only one piece.  Major pro-life issues of the Catholic Church include:  abortion, contraception, death penalty, embryo research, end of life issues, love and marriage, persons with disabilities, and reproductive technologies.  Modern technology has identified that human life begins at conception, the moment that the egg is fertilized.  In very basic terms; many common forms of artificial birth control cause abortions by not allowing a newly conceived human child to implant in the mother's womb.

3)  To fully appreciate the Catholic Church's pro-life stance, its important to consider that the conception of, birth and raising of a child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving.  With that in mind, the Church teaches that each and every marital act is unitiveand is open to the possibility of conceiving a child.  Artificial contraception is contrary to this teaching on marriage, as it separates conception from the sexual union.

Ready to delve deeper?  Join us for Foundations of Catholic Theology: Religious Freedom and Contraception on Tues., April 17 at 7pm in the CSC Social Hall.

Written by Cynthia Enghauser, Service & Social Justice Campus Minister