by Mandy Cox
Last month Everyday Ethics covered the principles behind the Catholic teaching on family planning methods. These principles help leaders at Catholic organizations prepare for conversations with employees who may have questions about benefits coverage.
Now we turn our attention to evaluating the ethics of various family planning methods. These moral and ethical guidelines can assist leaders with developing more robust guidance for employee conversations.
DIGNITY OF MARRIAGE
The dignity of marriage is shown throughout Scripture. In fact, Scripture begins and ends with a marriage: first, in the Garden of Eden, and finally in the marriage banquet of the Lamb in Heaven. St. Paul reminds us that marriage is an image of the love of Christ for the Church (Galatians 5). It is in this profound dignity that the sexual relationship finds its proper place. The first principle that Catholics uphold is that God gave marriage dignity when he created it and that the sexual relationship between spouses reflects the union and creative nature of the persons of the Trinity..
DIGNITY OF LIFE
The second principle is that the dignity of the human person means every child deserves to come into a family where they receive love and support as they grow. The sexual relationship between man and woman is directly related to new human life. Each human person is made in the image of God (Genesis), therefore the act that brings a new person into being is also greatly dignified as God infuses a soul into every child conceived. Secular culture recognizes that Catholics uphold the dignity of the human person in our teachings. We aren’t just another NGO, we are motivated by our faith to do good works in the world.
THE GIFTS OF MARRIED LOVE
Marital love has interdependent gifts: unity and procreation. The encyclical by Saint Paul VI, Humane Vitae, clearly defined these two equal purposes, or ends, of married sexual love. The gift of unity is such a profound reality that Scripture proclaims that “the two become one flesh”. This is an emotional and spiritual reality. It is within this unity that the couple procreate, or co-create, with the author of life. The supernatural reality that God cooperates with the marital love of the spouses to bring forth new life is a great mystery. The principle is that these two purposes are interdependent. All acts of intercourse must maintain these two ends, and failure to do so wounds both gifts.
EVALUATING HUMAN ACTS
Ethical and moral evaluation is based on the actions of persons. When evaluating family planning, we must evaluate the actions of the person(s) against the principles outlined above. This evaluation can help leaders who may be tasked with laying out these differences.
The act of contraception can be evaluated against the two gifts of marriage. Contraceptives, whether they are temporary or long-acting, are direct efforts by one or both partners to remove the possibility of conception. No matter the specific type, contraception acts directly against the procreative end of the sexual relationship. When Humane Vitae was released, St. Paul VI gave several warnings of the risk of separating the unitive and procreative ends of the sexual relationship by using contraception, warnings that have proven to be quite accurate. He warned that contraceptive use would distort the view of love and sexuality, undermine the marital relationship and change the view children from a blessing to a burden. Because of the profound value of the sexual relationship, the action of contraception is a mortal sin.
Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods can be evaluated by these same two gifts. Modern NFP methods are scientifically developed programs that are taught by trained professionals. These various methods teach couples how to understand the cyclical nature of fertile and infertile times in a woman’s cycle. These periods of fertile and infertile days are naturally occurring. Couples can use this information to align their sexual acts with their intention to achieve or avoid pregnancy. So what is the action that is to be evaluated? Couples who are trying to achieve pregnancy use their knowledge of fertile days in hopes of co-creating with God. For times when a couple is avoiding pregnancy, they use their knowledge of fertile days and do not have intercourse of those particular days. They do not separate the unitive and procreative gifts of sex, but instead abstain out of respect for these gifts.
FINAL NOTES
If you are a leader at a Catholic organization, CBA is here to help you navigate these conversations. If you are tasked with explaining benefits to employees during onboarding or during open enrollment, being prepared for questions can ensure you provide answers to strengthen the culture of your organization. If you need resources as you prepare for these conversations, reach out to CBA or check out our Members Only Room for resources.
picture by Freepik