Humanae vitae
The encyclical of Paul VI on the regulation of birth, dated 25 July 1968. It teaches that each marital act must keep its intrinsic relationship to procreation, excludes abortion, sterilization and contraception, and allows recourse to the infertile periods.
The letter begins from new questions about population, the place of women and the control of nature (paragraphs 2–3), tells how the pope consulted a commission and bishops and why he did not treat the commission’s conclusions as final (5–6), and then gives its doctrine of married love and responsible parenthood (7–10). Paragraphs 11 to 16 state the norm and its applications. The rest is addressed to public authorities, scientists, married couples, doctors, priests and bishops, and foresees that the teaching will not be easily accepted by all (18).
It is the document of record for the teaching. It does not print the commission’s reports. See Humanae Vitae.
Cited in
- 25 July 1968, firm date