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Pope Paul VI, in his Humanae Vitae (1968)said that, "It is always intrinsically wrong to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into existence." (source)

The words of the Pope are explicit. He said that contraception (= preventing new human beings from coming into existence)was always intrinsically wrong. In other words, every form of contraception must have always been intrinsically wrong per the Pope's very own words.

How do Catholics explain the stance of Pope Paul VI on contraception?

NOTE

This is not about the natural or artificial kinds of contraception. This question focuses on the encyclical of the Pope entitled "Human Life" (1968).

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  • @RadzMatthewCoBrown We might be able to save this question by focusing on the how the Church defines contraception. Contraception for the Church means impeding the fecundity of an otherwise fertile sexual act, not preventing new human beings from coming into existence. What if we changed the question to something like "How does the Catholic Church define contraception"?
    – AthanasiusOfAlex
    Nov 16, 2015 at 15:48
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    @AthanasiusOfAlex That would be a completely different question. Why encourage to the OP to change this one into a different question instead of simply asking a new question (esp. considering someone answered this one already)?
    – ThaddeusB
    Nov 16, 2015 at 15:56
  • @AthanasiusOfAlex, No. No one will change my question. My question rests on a solid basis. I based it on the Pope's definition of contraception.
    – R. Brown
    Nov 16, 2015 at 16:06
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    Except I don't think it is (that) Pope's definition of contraception, it's his description of what contraception could be used for. I stand by my belief that this is a duplicate.
    – Matt Gutting
    Nov 16, 2015 at 16:11
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    The official text of Humanae Vitae doesn't include the quoted sentence.
    – Andrew Leach
    Nov 16, 2015 at 16:59

1 Answer 1

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Natural contraception leaves open the chance that life may begin due to some unforeseen occurrence like out of monthly cycle an egg was released that could be at the right place at the right time. Artificial contraception involves the woman or man taking direct action to prevent the occurrence of pregnancy at which point sexual union becomes a selfish act. The Church also says that artificial contraception is morally wrong, because each and every sex act can occur only between husband and wife and must be directed toward two ends: love and life, that is, the intimate unity between the man and woman (love) and possibly procreating another human being (life). Conception and pregnancy don’t have to occur each time, but no man-made barriers should prevent what God may intend to happen.

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  • This is a decent answer (though without references) but I'm pretty sure the question is a duplicate.
    – Matt Gutting
    Nov 16, 2015 at 14:44

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