Newspaper Page Text
V
PAGE 2 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1964
BIRTH CONTROL
Cardinal Hits ‘Pill’ Statements
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Vatican Council might be asked
to give moral guidance.
(The hierarchy’s statement
came in the wake of an article
in which Titular Archbishop
Thomas D. Roberts, S. J„ of
Sugdea, a British prelate re
siding in London, argued that
the laws of nature and of the
Church had undergone im
mense changes over the
centuries, and there was no
certainty that the Church’s at
titude toward contraception is
not liable to change.)
DECLARING that local state
ments could cause divergences
of opinion in matters for which
unity of though and guidance
was necessary, Cardinal Ot-
taviani said that “all those
having something to say should
submit their thinking to the
Holy See so that it could take
into account all considerations
that can be made from juridi
cal, medical, moral and other
viewpoints.”
Asked whether population
growth could be regarded as
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“a social and economic in
dication” rendering lawful the
use of contraceptive pills in
the same way that the late Pope
Pius XII decided that the so-
called rhythm method was law
ful, Cardinal Ottaviani replied:
‘THE RHYTHM method of
controlling conception and birth
control pills are two different
ideas. The rhythm method can
be used when a married couple
has sufficient reason — forex-
ample, illness — or if it is
economically impossible to
maintain a family. This method
is not contrary to the act of
procreation, which must have
its course according to natural
and divine laws. Contraceptive
pills directly hinder the course
of the conjugal act.
‘The Church has spoken
clearly on artificial birth con
trol through papal encyclicals.
W e are told to change the situ
ation because of an increasing
population or the economic
status of husbands and wives.
These cannot be reasons in the
face of great doctrinal
principles based on natural
laws. Many are skeptical when
we say that God rules the world.
We, however, have faith. We
have no doubt about what the
Church teaches regarding God’s
government of the world.*’
ASKED IF the problem of
contraceptive pills would come
before the Vatican Council,
Cardinal Ottaviani said: “It is
doubtless a problem which will
have to be examined either by
Prelate Defends
Church’s Rights
BERLIN (NC) — Poland’s
Primate emphasized at Corpus
Chriati ceremonies that the
Church in that communist-rul
ed country will continue to in
sist on its rights, it was re
ported here.
Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski
said (May 28) that “we Catho
lics will not cease to demand
our rights of freedom, love,
justice and truth.”
the episcopal conferences or
even by the Council if the work
of the conferences is not com
pleted.”
Another question put to the
cardinal was: “Many Catholic
worshippers stay away from the
Sacraments and confession be
cause they use contraceptives
and feel guilty — would the
Church’s consent for the use of
contraceptive pills stimulate
religious life?”
CARDINAL Ottaviani’s an
swer was: “It could instead
favor hedonism,”
An Osservatore Della
Domenica article said a de
bate over pills to make the
time of ovulation predictable
had created wide discussion
among Church moralists, but
the tendency favoring such pills
did not change the Church’s reg
ulations on marriage.
NEVERTHELESS, it said “it
is sufficient to justify the con
tinuation of studies and ex
periments in scientific re
search which could lead to con
clusions susceptible of being
given close and respectful con
sideration by Church moralists
for a rethinking of the
questions.”
The article said oral con
traceptive pilis now on the
market are not acceptable, but
a new pill to regulate timing
' constitutes the first physio
logical preparation, different
from the ordinary contracept
ive methods.”
IT ADDED that in this dif
ference some moralists see
the factor that “leaves the
field open to further thought
able to produce a perceptibly
different moral evaluation of
(the timing pill).”
MSGR. KNOTT:
FULL TEXT
Rome Theologian Reviews
Moral Aspects Of ‘Pill’
FR. FRANCIS X. Clougherty,
O. S. B., vice-president of
St. Procopius College, Lisle,
Ill. and for ten years founder
and director of the Catholic
Student Center at the University
of Georgia, has received
the Freedoms Foundation at
Valley Forge Award for out
standing performance in pro
moting appreciation of our
American heritage.
All (J.S. Pills Condemned
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WASHINGTON (NC)—All birth
control pills now on the market
in the United States fall under
the Church's condemnation of
oral contraceptives that pre
vent ovulation, Msgr. John C.
Knott said here.
The Monsignor, director of
the Family Life Bureau of the
National Catholic Welfare Con
ference, was asked for com
ment on an article written in
the Vatican City weekly maga
zine, L’Osservatore della
Domenica, by Msgr. Ferdinando
Lambruschinl, theology profes
sor at the Pontificial Lateran
University, Rome.
MSGR. KNOTT said that
Msgr. Lambruschinl had re
stated the condemnation of oral
contraceptives that prevent
ovulation. But Msgr. Knott add
ed that there can be discussion
about the morality ofotheruses
of the pill.
The American priest also
said there is supposed to be
another pill which regulates,
rather than inhibits ovulation,
but he said theological speculat
ion concerning its use is highly
theoretical.
THE FULL text of Msgr.
Knott's comment follows:
“Which ‘pill’ is being talked
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IRISH
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amtam
about? Msgr. Ferdinando Lam-
bruschini in his article in the
Vatican City weekly L’Os
servatore della Domenica re
states the condemnation of oral
contraceptives that prevent
ovulation. Since all the birth
control pills presently on the
market in the United States do
inhibit ovulation tney con
sequently continue to fall under
the condemnation.
t
“THIS condemnation of their
use as contraceptives does not
prevent discussion about the
morality of their use as de
termined by other medical in
dications.
“The second pill being talked
‘NOBLE SOUL’
yet
about is one that is not
perfected. It is supposed to
regulate rather than inhibit
ovulation.
“HOWEVER, the fact of the
matter is that such a pill is
not yet on the market and any
theological speculation con
cerning its use is highly
theoretical. Some American
drug manufacturers have been
quoted as being skeptical about
the possibility of its develop
ment.
“The prudent thing would
seem to be to wait for the time
when it is perfected and its
medical effects are known be
fore making judgments on the
morality of its use.”
Catholics In India
Mourn For Nehru
NEW DELHI (NC)—The Cath
olics of India joined their Hin
du and Moslem brothers in
mourning the death of Prime
Minister Jswaharlal Nehru—
“a noble soul who gave of his
best.”
The head of the Catholic
Church in the country, Valerian
Cardinal Gracias of Bombay,
had flown to Paris in connec
tion with the international Eu
charistic Congress in his See
next November just before Ne
hru died of a heart attack at
the age of 74 (May 26). Unable
to return in time for the fun
eral the next day, Cardinal Gra
cias was represented by Auxi
liary Bishop William Z. Gomes
of Bombay.
FROM PARIS, however, the
Cardinal issued a statement sa
luting Nehru as "a valiant man,
a noble soul who gave his best
according to his lights without
relaxation for the well being
and progress of India and for
the cause of universal peace,”
Labeling the Prime Minis
ter's death “crushing news,”
Cardinal Gracias said that Ne
hru was adored by the Indian
people and loved them tender
ly in return. He added:
'ABOUT TWO months ago
I had the privilege of person
ally taking him a letter from
Pope Paul, with gifts from the
Holy Father and two medals of
the Vatican council. With broad
ness of view in his sense of
history he readily understood
the mission of the papacy in the
modern world,”
The -Prime Minister’s fun
eral services here coincided
with the feast of Corpus Chris-
ti, and prayers were offered
for Nehru’s soul at Masses
throughout India, The country's
churches also tolled their bells
in mourning for the fallen lead
er.
THE CATHOLICS of India in
demonstrating their grief paid
tribute not only for the man who
had been a mainspring in In
dia’s fight for independence and
1.5% of the population. But Ne
hru went out of his way to con
demn anti-Christian prejudice
and affirm that Christians “are
as much Indians as anyone else”
and “must have full opportuni
ties like others.”
The Prime Minister had pled
ged government help in arrang
ing for the Eucharistic Con
gress next November, In the
letter given him by Cardinal
Gracias here last February,
Pope Paul VI thanked Nehru for
“the great many kindnesses you
have shown to the Hierarchy
of India by facilitating the prep
aration” for the congress.
THEOLOGIAN SAYS
Following is a translation of
the article on the birth con
trol pill written by Father
Ferdinando Lambruschinl of the
theology faculty of the pontifi
cal Lateran University and
published in the Vatican City
weekly, L’Osservatore della
Domenica. Father Lambrus-
chinl's article was written in
reply to a question from a read
er.
I have had the opportunity of
reading (in the Italian press)
some of the articles concerned,
from Panorama and Epoca to
II Corriere della Sera and II
Messagero. Most of them are
very indefinite from the medi
cal point of view and even more
so from a moral point of view,
to which I restrict my answer.
To talk about a shift, a re
volution or a sensational turn
about is rather ridiculous, even
though it may stir the curiosity
and interest of the public. Con
sidering that some refer to a
previous alleged coup de theatre
(sudden striking change) made
by Pius XII regarding periodical
continence, it would not be a
bad thing to look into the mat
ter.
Ever since the unfertile
period of the female cycle dis
covered simultaneously by
Ogino In Japan and Knaus in
Austria, Catholics have set
themselves problems as to
whether or not it would be
licit to make use of it to
regulate births. They are divid
ed between two opposite opin
ions.
Discussions had lasted a few
decades when Pius XII in the
very well known speech to mid
wives on Oct. 29, 1951, brought
the weight of this authority to
the favorable opinion, indicat
ing its objective conditions
without, however, annulling
automatically the validity of the
contrary opinion. At that time
also a reversal was talked about
with a great deal of super
ficiality.
The Pope could, in fact, de
clare the method of periodical
continence to be licit without
any revolution, without deviat
ing from the condemnation of
any contraceptive means con
trary to natural moral law,
and be fully consistent with the
following unequivocal affirmat
ion contained textually in the
encyclical, Casti Connubi, of
Pius XI:
* ‘Any use of matrimony, pur
sued in such a manner as to
deliberately frustrate the act
of its natural power of pro
creation of life is an offense
against the law of God and
nature.”
No Early Decision
Likely On ‘Pill’
VATICAN CITY (NC) — A Ro
man theologian has expressed
doubt that there will be a pro
nouncement soon from either
Pope Paul VI or the ecumeni
cal council on the use of the
birth control pill.
Father Ferdinando Lam-
bruschini of the theological
faculty of the pontifical Lateran
University, writing in the Vati
can City weekly, L’Osservatore
della Domenica, took note of
the recent statement on the
pill by Leo Cardinal Suenens
of Malines - Brussels. He said
that the debate on the topic,
while showing some “hyper
sensitivity in die matter of con
jugal morality, nevertheless
shows the vitality of traditional
morals,”
(IN BOSTON in early May,
Cardinal Suenens said science
is very close to perfecting a
pill that may be used for family
planning with the approval of
the Church. He told a press
conference that although the
dia s fight for independence and , that at the present time
the nation’s top leader in the 17 L^CCh MOIlSlgllOr | attitude of those fivortne
years following. They also re- ° of the J - -
AIRLINES
called his own frequent display
of sympathy for the work of the
Church in this overwhelmingly
non-Christian country,
India’s Catholic community
of 6.5 million constitutes only
BERLIN (NC) — Msgr. Theo-
pilus Opatrny, vicar general
of the Prague archdiocese
whom the communist regime
forced to resign in 1951, died
in Prague )ay 22) at the age
of 84, it was learned here.
Church cannot be expected to
change its doctrine on birth
control, “this unchanging
doctrine must be applied to a
new situation.”)
Father Lambruschinl said
that it seems unlikely to him
“that there will be an inter
vention forthcoming from the
Holy Father or the ecumenical
council either of condemnation
or acceptance.” He added that
he cannot “fail to accuse of
irresponsibility those who con
tributing to the knowing creat
ion of false expectations and
suggestions, almost as if the
Church may be at the point of
renouncing the condemnation of
anticonceptlonal practices,”
HE STATED that the debate
as it stands does not lend itself
to “definitive or categorical
solutions,” since those who
favor the use of the pill have
not agreed on the formulation
“of a norm valid for the ordi
nary conduct of conjugal life.”
But Father Lambruschinl added
that at the Dresenr Hm* ^e
use
pill does justify con
tinued scientific research to
arrive at conclusions which can
be submitted to moralists for a
judgement. (Text of Fr. Lam-
bruschinis statement appears
on Page 2 of this issue of the
Bulletin.)
The discovery of the anti
ovulation powers of pro
gesterone was also made a few
decades ago, but the problem
of its moral permissibility was
posed for moralists only when
synthetic preparations of pro
gestine were tested and placed
on the market which, like pro
gesterone and without any not
able counter - indications,
showed they stopped the funct
ioning of the ovaries.
The great majority of moral
ists hastily, and not without
good reason, condemned the new
preparations together with the
other contraceptives already in
use, or rather in misuse. Some,
however, admittedly only a few
and mostly in Belgium, took
a more wait-and-see attitude
and cautiously advanced re
serves and perplexities. In fact,
the anti-conceptional preparat
ions constitute the first phy
siological preparation and thus
differentiate themselves from
ordinary anti-conceptional re
medies which, according to the
aforementioned authors, leaves
the way open for further medi
tation and would permit a con
siderably different moral
assessment regarding them.
The reply of (Leo) Cardinal
Suenens, Archbishop of
Malines-Brussels in Belgium,
when interviewed by a Boston
journalist, reflects this per
plexity. almost in tones of
polemical defense, of the group
of doctors and priests who,
following his encouragement,
have been endeavoring these
past few years to harmonize
scientific experiment and moral
reflection for an accurate as
sessment of the progestine
treatment.
The prolonged debate on
periodical abstinence, cul
minated in a pontifical inter
vention, entrusted to the
validity of the reasons given
rather than to authority, al
though logically it cannot be
disregarded, may be an in
dication of the development of
the discussion on anti-
conceptional preparations which
was begun even before Cardi
nal Suenens by L. Jannssens
in an article which appeared
in the October-December, 1963,
issue of the well known re
view, EphemeridesTheologicae
Lovanienses, pages 787-826,
not to mention earlier articles.
While the jolt experienced by
public opinion betrays some
hypersensitivity in the matter
of conjugal morality, neverthe
less it also shows the vitality
of traditional morals, which
cannot be regarded as obsolete
if they stir so much interest,
and not only among Catholics.
It seems to me, however, un
likely that there will be an
intervention forthcoming from
the Holy Father or the ecu-
- -- —j
m. Terence
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of mencial council either of con
demnation or of acceptance. I
do not see any reason to
dramatize nor can I fail to ac
cuse of irresponsibility those
who are contributing to the de
liberate creation of false ex
pectations and suggestions, al
most as if the Church were
at the point of renouncing the
condemnation of anti-concept
ional practices.
In the last month of his life,
Pius XII, in reply to a speci
fic problem, already declared
illicit the use of anti-concept
ional preparations preventing
ovulation for the purpose of
avoiding procreation, while
retaining the freedom to ex
ercise conjugal rights (Cfr.
speech to the Congress of
Hematology of Sept. 12, 1958).
In the debate which has only
just begun on the licity of the
use of progestine preparat
ions—to which I am dedicating
some reflection apart from the
present answer, and which I
have reason to believe will be
long and difficult—the “possi-
bilist” moralists will have to
take into account the indications
of Pius XII, though these did
not exclude absolutely more
favorable prospects. I am, in
fact, personally convinced that
the question as it stands does
not permit definite or categori
cal solutions, either one way
or the other. The possibilist
moralists are at the moment
decidedly in a minority, so
that their opinion cannot be
qualified as solidly probable,
that is to way such as can be
followed with a clear con
science, In other words, the
trend favorable to the law
fulness of the hormonal in
hibitors does not permit the
formulation of a valid norm
for the ordinary conduct of
conjugal life.
It is, however, sufficient to
justify the continuation of the
studies and experiments of
scientific research workers,
who might reach conclusions
which could be taken into close
and respectful consideration by
the moralists for a reassess
ment of the question, without
of course any renunciation of
the perennial validity of the
objective principles which are
at the basis of natural and
Christian morals and without
any revolutionary turns.
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