First of two parts
My dear friends,
Some people call it the best kept secret in the Catholic Church. Here in the Archdiocese of Miami, we're determined to change that.
I am referring to Natural Family Planning, an effective, totally natural, side-effect-free method of postponing or planning a pregnancy, one that is scientifically proven and in keeping with the moral teachings of the church.
Natural Family Planning is not the old, unreliable “rhythm” method which hinged on the calendar to predict when a woman was fertile. Through Natural Family Planning, a woman tracks her fertility by observing the physical changes in her body: chiefly the characteristics of the mucus discharged from the cervix, and her body temperature when she awakens in the morning.
Natural Family Planning actually is the generic term for several natural methods of fertility awareness, two of which are taught in the archdiocese. One is known as the Ovulation method because it requires couples to chart only the characteristics of the cervical mucus, the chief indicator of ovulation. The other is called the Sympto-Thermal method because it incorporates other signs of ovulation, including the woman's basal body temperature and the condition of her cervix.
Both methods have a scientific basis. They were developed by medical professionals and have been tested in health trials worldwide. They can be used by women with both regular and irregular menstrual cycles. And they are just as effective for women who are breast-feeding or undergoing menopause, since they track the hormonal changes that naturally occur in a woman's body.
How effective are they? Medical professionals have relied on them for years to pinpoint the moment of ovulation in women who have difficulty getting pregnant.
Amazingly, these methods of natural family planning were developed in the 1960s — around the same time as the pill, which garnered bigger headlines. The outcry against rhythm also caused a majority of Catholics to reject any “natural” method, although thousands are re-discovering them today.
True, these methods require couples to abstain from sexual intercourse during certain times of a woman's cycle, if they wish to avoid pregnancy. Self-discipline is not popular in our “instant” age. But we all must set limits and abstain from certain activities at certain times in our lives. Alcohol, chocolate, food, sleep or even exercise may bring us pleasure, but we cannot indulge non-stop in any of them. Why should sex be different?
Couples who use natural methods of family planning report greater satisfaction and increased pleasure during those times when they can engage in sexual activity, referring to them as mini-honeymoons. They also report better communication between the spouses and an increased sense of intimacy, since we all know that men tend to equate sex with intimacy while women define it in broader terms.
The fact that natural family planning methods require the cooperation of both husband and wife is even a selling point for feminists, who lament that the advent of the pill has placed the burden of birth control squarely on the shoulders of women. Best of all, women who use natural methods don't have to deal with the negative side effects and possible long-term health consequences of the pill or other barrier methods.
So why don't more couples use Natural Family Planning? Because they don't know about it. The Church itself has failed to teach about the effectiveness and moral acceptability of these methods.
That is why, when I promulgated new marriage guidelines two years ago, I instructed that a section on natural family planning be added to all the marriage preparation courses required by the archdiocese. I want all the Catholic couples getting married in South Florida to know about these methods and be encouraged to use them, since they are not only healthier than the artificial ones, they are also morally correct.
Next: What the Catholic Church really teaches about birth control
