Karen,

Thanks for the question.

The answer is a little more complex than a simple yes or no; it is sometimes yes.

Some forms of contraception are in themselves abortifacients. The pill and IUD would fall into this category. All artificial contraception is serious sin, and if used with full knowledge and consent, it is mortal sin.

So, there is no acceptable form of artificial birth control that does not put your soul at risk.

Excommunication is meant to be medicinal, to give the person the chance to repent and reconsider the gravity of the matter. It is ultimately meant to help save a soul, not condemn it, because unrepentant sin is a cancer that will kill the soul.

The good news is that the Church has made it easier to have reconciliation for those who have had an abortion. One need not seek absolution from a bishop, which was formerly required. Now any priest can administer the full absolution and reconciliation in the Sacrament of Penance.

What people have missed in the understanding of birth control is that it is a form of abortion lite. It follows the same path and value — sex belongs to the act of pleasure and perhaps bonding, but is not life-giving. It is a divorce from fertility.

Abortion is the natural end for failed birth control. Once you buy into the first proposition, the second comes quickly.

Peace,

Bob Kirby