Natural Family Planning
Helping married couples to deepen conjugal love and achieve responsible parenthood is part of the Church’s total pastoral ministry to Catholic spouses. Fulfillment of this ministry includes both education and pastoral care. This means “instilling conviction and offering practical help to those who wish to live out their parenthood in a truly responsible way.”
(Familiaris consortio, 35)
God designed marriage as an “intimate partnership of life and love” (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). In God’s design, marriage is a unique union of one man with one woman “for the whole of life” (see Canon 1055, The Code of Canon Law). Marriage is oriented to the good of the spouses and to the creation and nurture of new human life (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). Making decisions therefore, about when and how many children to have in marriage is a sacred responsibility that God has entrusted to husband and wife. This is the foundation of what the Church calls, “Responsible Parenthood,” the call to discern God’s will for your marriage while respecting His design for life and love.
The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God’s design for married love. In fact, NFP represents the only authentic approach to family planning available to husbands and wives because these methods can be used to both attempt or avoid pregnancy. When learning about NFP, it is important to know that:
- Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid conception. These methods are based on the observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Some natural methods include use of fertility monitors to better understand the time of the wife’s fertility. Married couples using NFP to postpone conception abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the wife’s cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. Married couples who use NFP to attempt a pregnancy, make use of the fertile window–the optimum time when conception is likely.
- NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23
- The papal encyclical, Humanae vitae written by Pope St. Paul VI in 1968, captures the truth and depth of Catholic teaching on married love and the gift of life. In 2018, the Church celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of this important encyclical. Many resources produced in the anniversary year are classic and can be helpful in NFP education. Below we offer a selection of these resources.
- Humanae vitae, Pope St. Pope Paul VI (1968)
- Humanae vitae Events and Resources
- Humanae Vitae, 50 Years Later, Embracing God’s Vision for Marriage, Love and Life, A Compendium is available from The Catholic University of America Press (2019). Edited by Theresa Notare, Ph.D., Assistant Director, NFP Program, USCCB, this book features the papers from the 2018 Humanae vitae 50th anniversary symposium held at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (April 4-6). Orders, 1-800-537-5487. The book received a 2020 Catholic Press Association award for second place in the category of anthologies.
- Humanae vitae 50th Anniversary Prayers
Natural Family Planning Resources (USCCB) – NFP Resources | USCCB
Used with permission from the NFP Program, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved.
Walking with Moms in Need
Walking with Moms in Need is a process through which Catholic parishes and communities “walk in the shoes” of local pregnant and parenting women in need. Everyone should know how to help moms in difficult circumstances. (USCCB)
PARISH RESOURCES
PARISH ACTION GUIDE
The Parish Action Guide includes specific materials and detailed resources to help guide parishes through the Walking with Moms process, including sample timelines, announcements, prayers, activities, homily notes, and more. It is designed primarily for use by the parish leader. While each parish will participate in its own unique way, this Action Guide provides a basic framework and structure that can be adapted to each community’s needs. Everything you need to participate is included or linked to in the Action Guide.
ENGLISH – https://www.usccb.org/resources/WWMIN-2021-action-guide.pdf
SPANISH – https://www.usccb.org/resources/WWMIN-2021-action-guide-spn.pdf
Prayer for Pregnant Mothers
https://www.walkingwithmoms.com/prayer-for-pregnant-mothers
2024 – National Pro-Life Events
NATIONAL PRAYER VIGIL FOR LIFE: JANUARY 18-19, 2024
The National Prayer Vigil for Life will be held from Thursday afternoon, January 18, through Friday morning, January 19, 2024, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The Opening Mass begins Thursday, January 18 at 5:00 p.m., followed by a Holy Hour for Life starting at 7:00 p.m. The Closing Mass begins Friday at 8:00 a.m. Please visit the 2024 National Prayer Vigil for Life website and the Frequently Asked Questions section on the USCCB website for complete information on the schedule and additional details.
BISHOP-LED LIVESTREAMED HOLY HOURS: JANUARY 18-19, 2024
For those not traveling to Washington, our Pro-Life Committee chairman, Bishop Michael Burbidge, has asked his brother bishops to consider participating “nationally” from their own diocese to host and livestream a diocesan Holy Hour in concert with the January 18-19 National Prayer Vigil for Life. Holy Hour slots are available from 8:00 PM (Eastern) on January 18th to 8:00 AM (Eastern) on January 19th. These nationwide Holy Hours will be publicized on the USCCB website. More information about hosting a livestreamed holy hour can be found in the attached information.
NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE: JANUARY 19, 2024
The 51st annual March for Life will be held as planned on Friday, January 19, 2024, after a Rally on the Mall beginning at noon. For the latest information, please visit the March for Life website: https://marchforlife.org.
OTHER NATIONAL PRO-LIFE PRAYER EFFORTS IN JANUARY 2024
Tuesday, January 16 – Wednesday, January 24: 9 Days for Life
More information about this USCCB Pro-Life novena will be made available in December.
Monday, January 22: Day for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
For more information about this day of prayer, go to: www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/resources/january-22-day-of-prayer.cfm.
We are grateful for your continued witness to life in a post-Roe America, and for your everyday efforts to uphold the dignity of every human life. We hope these updates shared will be helpful for your planning for January.