Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Servant of God Paul VI, published the Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae on July 25, 1968. That document soon became a sign of contradiction...often misunderstood and taken incorrectly, it became an object of debate, as well because it brought into the light the profound dispute that marked the lives of entire generations. Forty years after its publication, that teaching not only manifests its unchanged truth, but also reveals the farsightedness with which the problem was faced.” These were the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI in an audience held on May 10 with participants from the International Congress on the 40th anniversary of the Encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” which took place in the Pontifical Lateran University.
The Pope spoke of how conjugal love should not be closed to the gift of life: “Life is always an inestimable gift; every time we witness its coming forth, we perceive the creative power of God, who trusts in man and who thus, calls him to build the future with the strength of hope. Today, as in the past, the task of the Church’s Magisterium is to reflect on the fundamental principles that safeguard marriage and procreation, the Pope said, emphasizing that “the truth expressed in Humanae vitae is immutable; rather, at the light of new scientific discoveries, its teaching becomes more relevant and urges us to reflect on the intrinsic value it possesses. Love remains the password necessary for entering into its content with coherence.” Quoting his encyclical, Deus caritas est, Benedict XVI explained that if the unity of man’s soul and body is severed, “the value of the person is lost and we fall into the grave danger of considering the body as an object that can be bought or sold.” He continued: “If the exercise of sexuality is turned into a drug designed to subject the partner to his own desires and interests, without respecting the freedom of the beloved, then that which should be defended is nothing other than the real meaning of love, with primary importance given to the dignity of the person himself. As believers, we can never allow the dominion of technology to invalidate the quality of love and the sacredness of life.”
Recalling the gratuitous act of love God expresses in Creation, Benedict XVI mentioned that “in the fecundity of conjugal love, the man and woman participate in the creating act of the Father and reveal that at the root of their spousal love is an authentic ‘yes’ that is declared and truly lived in reciprocity, remaining always open to life...The natural law, which forms the basis for recognizing the true equality among all people and nations, should be acknowledged as the source of inspiration, as well for the relationship between spouses in their responsibility in giving life to new children. The transmission of life is inscribed in nature and its laws remain unwritten norms, with whom all should comply.”
The Holy Father also spoke of the urgent need to rediscover “a covenant that has always been fruitful, when it is respected; that makes reason and love the priorities,” and he also explained that in the fruitful gift that each one makes of himself/herself to the other is the origin of the responsibility for life. “No mechanical technique can substitute the act of love that husband and wife exchange as a sign of the greater mystery, in which they are protagonists and co-participants of creation.”
Concluding his address, Benedict XVI spoke of the urgent need for education in response to the sad episodes that are seen today, involving adolescents "whose reactions display their incorrect appreciation of the mystery of life and of the dangerous implications of their actions,” hoping that “the youth, in particular, may receive special attention, that they may learn the true meaning of love and prepare for it with appropriate sexual education, not allowing themselves to be distracted by superficial messages that prevent them from appreciating the essence of the truth at stake. Supplying false illusions in the area of love, or creating deception about the genuine responsibilities that people are called to accept with the exercise of their sexuality, does not do honour to a society that makes reference to the principles of freedom and democracy.” Concluding, the Pontiff acknowledged that “the teachings of the Encyclical Humanae vitae are not easy, yet they “are in conformation with the fundamental structure through which life has been transmitted always, since the creation of the world, in respect to nature and in conformity with its demands.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2008; righe 57, parole 754)
