Natural Family Planning International

In his 1995 teaching on prophecy, Fr. Al also noted that prophecy was a means of deliverance.  Moses was the prophet of deliverance from the slavery of Egypt.  Jesus was the prophet of deliverance from the slavery of sin.  I suggest that the teaching of the Church regarding marital chastity is the prophecy of deliverance from the slavery to sexual sin.

Father Al noted further that the general reaction to prophecy is negative.  Certainly that was the case in the Old Testament.  Certainly that was the case among most of the Jewish leadership at the time of Jesus.  And certainly that was the reaction to Humanae Vitae.  And it is also the reaction of most bishops and pastors to the idea that a full course on natural family planning should be a normal part of preparation for marriage.  In 1989 a committee of American bishops published a document on preparation for marriage in which they urged that every engaged couple should be required to attend a full course on NFP, not just a couple hours squeezed into a pre-Cana Day (Faithful to Each Other Forever by NCCB Bishops’ Committee for Pastoral Research & Practices, Dec 1989).  At present, 21 years later, only six dioceses have that requirement.  In western Cincinnati, only Fr. Mark Watkins at St. Lawrence has that requirement.  I understand that perhaps some of the recently ordained associate pastors have that as a personal goal, but it’s not yet a parish policy.

So your request may meet with initial rejection.  And my request to you may meet with initial rejection.  That is all par for the course.

You may rightly ask: Is this necessary?  Aren’t people already well instructed on these things?  And aren’t large numbers of Catholics already practicing NFP?  After all, we see empty pews and the closing of schools and parishes.  Isn’t that due to the selfish use of NFP?  As far as we can tell, less than 5 percent of Catholics are using natural forms of conception regulation.

If 95% of married couples in their fertile years are using unnatural forms of birth control, that means that the typical Catholic parish is very badly affected or infected by slavery to sexual sin.  In turn, that means that you and your pastor have the opportunity to help deliver your parish from that slavery to sin.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant

Purpose of this talk:  I am asking you to ask your pastor to make a full course in natural family planning a normal part of preparation for marriage.

Prophetic requests? Fr. Al Lauer, in his 1995 teaching on prophecy, distinguished between being a prophet of God and being a prophet of a prophet.  I can’t comment on the former, but I think we can say that my request and your request to your pastor are examples of being a prophet of the Popes who are called to be the unique prophet of God throughout the ages.  I call attention right now to Pope John Paul II.  In his landmark 1981 Apostolic Exhortation on the Family, the Pope taught in this way about what we call fertility awareness:

“But the necessary conditions [for understanding and living the moral value and norm of Catholic teaching] also include knowledge of the bodily aspect and the body’s rhythms of fertility.  Accordingly, every effort must be made to render such knowledge accessible to all married people and also to young adults before marriage through clear, timely, and serious instruction and education given by married couples, doctors and experts.  Knowledge must then lead to education in self-control: Hence the absolute necessity for the virtue of chastity and for permanent education in it.” (N. 33.7)

Two sections later he continued:  “With regard to the question of lawful birth regulation, the ecclesial community at the present time must take on the task of instilling conviction and offering practical help to those who wish to live out their parenthood in a truly responsible way.” (n. 35.1)

Every effort must be made.  The Church …must take on the task…  I think that these MUST statements are prophetic not just didactic or academic teachings.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant

The next nine blogs are taken from a talk given by John F. Kippley (Dec. 4, 2010) at a Men’s Retreat sponsored by Presentation Ministries founded by Fr. Al Lauer.

Scripture:  Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. –2 Timothy 4:2

In that passage, St. Paul is urging Timothy to exercise his prophetic ministry.  The passage continues:  “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teacher to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.”

The question is this:  Are we living in that time predicted by St. Paul?  I am not suggesting that our time is the only such time between the first century and the present, but it certainly seems that we are living in such a time.  We live at a time when certain myths regarding marriage and sexuality have crowded out the truth.  For Christianity as a whole, the reign of the false prophets started 80 years ago when the Church of England first accepted marital contraception.  The majority of the Anglican bishops bought into the myth that unlimited sex and very small families would produce marital happiness and stability.  It sounds practical, but it hasn’t worked out that way.   The divorce rate in the United States has risen 500% since Margaret Sanger began her public advocacy of contraception just before World War I.

For the Catholic world, the reign of the false prophets began with the rejection of Humanae Vitae in 1968, some 42 years ago.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant