An Apologetical Explanation of

Contraception

Why is it sinful to use artificial contraception?

Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.”  (Mt 18:5)

Jesus called [even infants] to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  (Lk 18:16)

The use of artificial means of contraception violates the natural law because it separates the unitive purpose of the marital act from its procreative purpose.

The marital act, as expressed between spouses, is a great good directed toward the two ends of marriage: the unitive and the procreative.  The unitive end of marriage seeks the good of the spouses themselves and their relationship of self-giving love, and the procreative end seeks the creation of new human life directed toward the rearing and education of children.  These two purposes cannot be separated without great damage to the good of the spouses, their relationship with each other, and their relationship with God.  For this reason, the Church from the beginning has opposed the use of artificial methods of contraception.

The actions within marriage by which the couple are united intimately and chastely are noble and worthy ones.  Expressed in a manner which is truly human, these actions promote that mutual self-giving by which spouses enrich each other with a joyful and a ready will.  (GS 49)

The Church teaches that a couple must be responsible in the transmission of human life; she does not, for example, urge married couples to have the largest possible number of children.  She recognizes that a married couple, for grave reasons, might find it prudent to avoid conception in order to limit their family size or space out the births of their children.  They must carefully and prayerfully discern God’s will for their family to ensure that they are not giving in to selfish concerns.

When such a prayerful discernment is made, it is morally permissible for the couple to use only those methods of birth regulation that involve periodic continence, that is, the abstention from the marital act during the woman’s fertile periods.  By contrast, any method of birth regulation that involves physical or chemical barriers, pharmaceuticals, or incomplete sexual acts constitute grave offenses against the natural law, the dignity of marriage, and the respect for the transmission of life.  This teaching flows out of divine law, and not even the Church herself can repeal or violate it.  (Cf. CCC 2366-2371)

The Catechism addresses this question in paragraphs 2362-2363.

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