Contraception & Family Planning

Pope Benedict

Restates Opposition To Abortion,

Artificial Reproduction,

Support for Natural Family Planning
[Nov 28, 2005]

Pope Benedict XVI in a speech at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy on Friday reiterated the Roman Catholic Church’s support for natural family planning, Reuters reports (Reuters, 11/25). In his speech, the pope discussed the university’s Paul VI’s International Scientific Institute Of Research On Human Fertility And Infertility and its research on “responsible reproduction.” He said the institute is working “to give a sound scientific basis to the natural control of human fertility and to attempt to overcome infertility by natural means” (Agence France-Presse, 11/25). He also commended Pope Paul VI’s 1968 papal letter, Humanae Vitae — which banned all forms of contraception — for discussing the “natural regulation of human fertility,” and he repeated the Catholic Church’s stance on overcoming infertility “in a natural way,” Reuters reports. Under Catholic doctrine, birth control and condoms are prohibited but natural family planning practices are allowed. The Roman Catholic Church in June of last year was successful in helping to block a referendum that would have dismantled Italy’s law on artificial reproduction, according to Reuters (Reuters, 11/25).