Reply to I follow Catholic teaching on contraception. Ask me anything.

Forum Index » Off-Topic

Reply to "I follow Catholic teaching on contraception. Ask me anything."

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a question I have always wanted to ask someone who is anti-birth control; forgive me if anyone has already asked it, but this thread has gotten rather long.   Some of us who have ovarian cysts or other issues like endometriosis have been on birth control pills not only for the intended use, but also because they can help prevent further issues with those conditions.  Let's suppose you were not going to be having sex with anyone; would you not feel like you could take oral contraception, even though not taking it could result in your developing numerous cysts which would result in pain and eventual surgeries?   [/quote]

This invokes the principle of double effect.  You are not taking the Pill to contracept;  you are taking it to heal your cysts.  Even the Catholic institutions fighting the HHS mandate include therapeutic uses of the Pill as covered services.  It would be the same if a mother had to have a hysterectomy for some medically indicated reason.  The double effect would be healing an illness and rendering the woman infertile.  But the intent was not to render her infertile, so it is not illicit.

So even a fertile, married woman can take the Pill, but the intent cannot be contraceptive.[/quote]

PP here -- thanks so much for answering my question.

Another one -- If a woman has a chronic illness, one in which becoming her pregant would present serious risks to her health, maybe even death, is she still not 'allowed' to try to prevent pregancy?  Even if the pregnancy could result in her already-born children being left motherless?  How would she be able to have sex without worrying that it might subsequently lead to her demise?

Thanks in advance for answering.  This is all fascinating.

[/quote]

Pope Pius XI directly addressed this in Casti Connubii.  A mother's health (physical, emotional, mental) can be a serious reason to avoid pregnancy, without doubt.  But the way in which pregnancy is avoided must still respect the meaning of sex.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics