Rich
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
I want very much to be faithful to Catholic teaching on contraception.
- Am I correct in my understanding that, as a Catholic, that
means we are to practice Natural Family Planning (NFP)?
Rich
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{
If we want to be faithful on the topic of contraception, does that mean we should practice NFP? }
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Eric replied:
HI, Rich —
Thanks for the question.
Well, it is your most effective moral option for regulating births.
You could, of course, opt not to use birth control at all, or use easier
but less reliable natural methods, such as the rhythm method, which might require
less cooperation on the part of your wife. There are also several
methods of NFP, some of which could be more suitable than others
(but I'm getting out of my element here, since I've never been married).
There are also some good resources in the EWTN document library.
It would probably be beneficial for you to talk to a good, faithful
priest-confessor about the issue. Barring that, I would point
out that you can only be morally responsible for that over which
you have control, or which you actively participate in.
For example,
if your wife chose not to cooperate and, despite your voiced disapproval
and lack of consent, contracepted behind your back, you would not
be guilty of sin.
If anyone else on the team has any input to offer, please feel free.
Yours in Christ,
Eric Ewanco
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John Griffin replied:
Hi, Rich!
Your desire to follow the Church's counsel on
this teaching is quite
admirable.
I'd first recommend, if you are not
already familiar with it, the Couple to Couple League.
They have many resources on NFP.
John
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Mike replied:
Hi, Rich!
As John said, I admire your desire to follow the Church's teachings in this area.
Here are some additional resources that may help:
All of these books appeared to have very high Customer reviews ratings on Amazon.
Here are additional resource on Human Sexuality and Marriage that also may interest you.
Family and Life Issues
Christian Marriage
The Pontifical Council For The Family
And one of the best, if not the best books:
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I hope this helps,
Mike
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