Can the Vatican Allow Condoms?

by Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro Carambula

The following is the copy of a letter addressed to Vatican Officials by Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro Carámbula, Director HLI-Rome

Your Excellency:
I am addressing Your Excellency on the question of the morality of married couples using condoms in situations where one member of a couple is infected with HIV/AIDS. I am bringing this matter to your attention on the basis of credible journalistic information, which states that a document is being studied on this question.  Read More...

Catholic Church Teachings on Abortion

by Brian Clowes

In "Catholic Church Teachings on Abortion," from his book The Facts of Life, Dr. Brian Clowes discusses topics such as: historical opposition of the Catholic Church to abortion; recent Church teachings on abortion; the Church penalty of excommunication for abortions; abortion to save the mother’s life; the moment of “ensoulment”; and baptism of preborn babies.  For the Table of Contents with links to the full content of the chapter, click here...  

Catholics for a Free Choice

by Brian Clowes

Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) is a Washington, D.C.-based organization whose objective is to convince lawmakers, the popular media and Catholics that there can be an authentic "Catholic pro-choice" philosophy. CFFC was founded in 1970 by three members of a pro-abortion group called the National Organization for Women (NOW). Its first public act was to ridicule the Catholic Church by crowning one of these women "Pope Joan I" on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Read More...

Contraception

by Brian Clowes

In "Contraception," from his book The Facts of Life, Dr. Brian Clowes discusses topics such as: definitions of contraception; method and user effectiveness rates; costs of various birth control methods; profitability of the “family planning” industry; condoms and venereal diseases; surgical and chemical sterilization; Catholic Church teaching on sterilization and contraception; and future technologies.  For the Table of Contents with links to the full content of the chapter, click here...

Dignity of the Human Embryo, The

by Angelo Serra

In his encyclical Evangelium vitae, Pope John Paul II condemned this inhuman situation: “Some people try to justify abortion by claiming that the result of conception, at least up to a certain number of days, cannot yet be considered a personal human life” (n. 60). Read More...

Family Values Versus Safe Sex

by His Eminence Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo

The mass media have circulated news that I granted an interview to the BBC, which was broadcasted last October 12, 2003, on the eve of Pope John Paul II's 25th Anniversary in his service as Bishop of Rome. On that occasion, I answered different questions for more than an hour, especially those dealing with the family. But, surprisingly, what was shown from the whole interview on the BBC Panorama's film, Sex & The Holy City, were merely three questions of less than half a minute each, the answers to which were certainly much more complete. The program apparently tried to deliberately and systematically criticize the Catholic Church for supposedly contributing to the death of people by not allowing the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.  Read More ...

Free Choice

by William E. May

The expression "free choice" is connected in today's public opinion with the struggle conducted by different groups in favor of liberalizing the laws on procured abortion in different countries. [...] The Catholic Church has always supported the real freedom of the human individual, his capacity to make small or important choices in his life. The “free choice” intended in this way, is not a negative freedom “from”, but a freedom “to”, in which man shows his capability to commit himself in a responsible choice, in his path towards sanctity. Read More...

Historical Christian Teachings on Abortion

by Brian Clowes

In "Historical Christian Teachings on Abortion," from his book The Facts of Life, Dr. Brian Clowes discusses topics such as: abortion in the Christian Church; anti-life strategies of infiltration and subversion; critical differences between the churches; and the deaths of the “feel-good” churches.  For the Table of Contents with links to the full content of the chapter, click here...

NFP, Isn't That Rhythm?

by Rev. Paul Marx, O.S.B.

Teaching marriage preparation courses for years at two Catholic colleges only enhanced my interest in NFP, as did giving many retreats for young married couples after the war. They used to call me "Father Rhythm" and "Father Temp" at St. John's University in Minnesota. Over the years I sponsored eight international symposia on NFP, still misunderstood as the "old rhythm" method so often today. Read More...

Scripture on Abortion

by Brian Clowes

In "Scripture on Abortion," from his book The Facts of Life, Dr. Brian Clowes discusses topics such as: implicit condemnation; only God has the power to open and shut the womb; the Bible doesn’t explicitly condemn other anti-life activities; and what else isn’t in the Bible. For the Table of Contents with links to the full content of the chapter, click here...