[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis on the Church’s ban of birth control: Morality is ‘always on a path of development’

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — During his return flight from Canada on Saturday Pope Francis replied to a question regarding the Catholic Church’s prohibition on contraceptives, saying that dogma and morality are “always on a path of development.”

Speaking to selected reporters, Francis responded to questions regarding his health, possible retirement, Germany’s Synodal Way and international politics.

While many headlines addressed his comments hinting at a possible retirement, his remarks on contraception passed relatively un-noticed. “Many Catholics, but also many theologians, think that development is needed in the Church’s doctrine regarding contraceptives,” said Claire Giangrave of Religion News Service.

“Are you open, in short, to a reevaluation in this regard?,” she asked, “or does the possibility exist for a couple to consider contraceptives?”

Pope Francis called the question “very timely,” adding that “dogma, morality, is always on a path of development, but always developing in the same direction.”

In a lengthy response, Francis alluded to the 5th century theologian St. Vincent of Lerins, whose famous Canon has been increasingly used as the basis for modern arguments proposing “development” in doctrine.

For the theological development of a moral or dogmatic issue,” Francis said St. Vincent “says that true doctrine, in order to go forward, to develop, must not be quiet, it develops ut annis consolidetur, dilatetur tempore, sublimetur aetate.”

This “true doctrine…”expands and consolidates, and becomes always more solid, but always progressing,” he said. The “duty of theologians is research, theological reflection,” he said.

Francis also referenced the Pontifical Academy for Life’s (PAV) new book which proposes both contraception and artificial insemination as morally acceptable. Recently published by the Vatican’s publishing house Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the book is a collection of essays taken from a three-day interdisciplinary seminar sponsored by the PAV in 2021.

Francis defended the work, and the seminar which prompted the book, saying the theologians involved “did their duty” by seeking to “move forward in doctrine…in an ecclesial sense”:

The answers to the questions posed by the PAV now lie with the “Magisterium,” who “will say, yes it is good or it is not good,” he added. “Many things fall under this.”

Fuelling speculation about new encyclical

In light of the PAV’s new book, speculation has arisen regarding a potential new encyclical from the Pope contradicting the Church’s prohibition on contraception. A theologian adviser to the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), recently published an article in the Vatican reviewed La Civilta Cattolica, asking if Francis would write “a new encyclical or apostolic exhortation on bioethics” in line with the PAV’s book.

The PAV welcomed Francis’ in-flight comments, using them as another opportunity to promote the book at the center of current controversy.

When posing her question to the Pope, Giangrave referenced Pope John Paul I’s reported opposition to the Church’s ban on contraception as a basis for allowing “development” of doctrine to permit the practice.

Giangrave is not alone in paying particular attention to John Paul I’s views on the subject. In the build up to his September beatification, Vatican News, the Vatican’s in-house news outlet, is currently focussing heavily on John Paul I’s short reign in a new podcast, led by Andrea Tornielli – the editorial director of the Dicastery for Communications. Both Tornielli and the vice postulator of the pontiff’s sainthood cause, Stefania Falasca, have recently written on John Paul I’s position on contraception in the Vatican’s paper and the paper of the Italian bishops’ conference.

LifeSite's Rome correspondent, Louis Knuffke, delivers four other LifePetitions to the Vatican:

Sources have leaked to LifeSiteNews that Cardinal Cupich seems ready to completely ban a community of Traditional priests from offering the Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Chicago!

July 31st appears to be the deadline for priests belonging to the Institute of Christ the King to close down all public Latin Masses — which would end their ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago full stop.

This outrageous persecution against faithful Catholics is an affront to 2,000 years of Tradition and is the rallying cry for today's saints: We need brave and devout Catholics across the world to demand Cardinal Cupich respect the holy priests of the Institute of Christ the King and SAVE the Traditional Latin Mass!

SIGN: CARDINAL CUPICH MUST HEAR THAT CATHOLICS LIKE YOU LOVE AND SUPPORT THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS! >>>

The Institute of Christ the King has attracted national attention for its beautiful, reverent, and profound celebration of the TLM — all of which looks set to end in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!

There are currently 18 ICKSP apostolates dotting more than 10 states in America — serving 400-500 faithful Catholics just in the city of Chicago with 3 Latin Masses every Sunday. With this rumored attack, Cupich — who also serves in high-profile Vatican positions — is sending a sign to all traditionalist priests worldwide.

This robust Catholic community is truly a jewel of Catholic Tradition — making it odd that the ICKSP might be the subject of censorship!

As LifeSiteNews continued reporting...

"Cardinal Cupich, a close collaborator of Pope Francis and a promoter of the liberal agenda within the Church, has already issued restrictions regarding the traditional Latin rite within his diocese at the end of last year."

*** Catholics must defend and promote the Traditional Latin Mass before the potential July 31st deadline! ***

It’s important now more than ever to send a message to Cardinal Cupich that the Institute of Christ the King must continue its ministry of offering the TLM without fear of retaliation or hostility.

END OF JULY DEADLINE: SEND A MESSAGE TO CARDINAL CUPICH THAT YOU STAND WITH THE INSTITUTE OF CHRIST THE KING! >>>

The crackdown is expected to take effect at the end of July, when the Institute of Christ the King will be expected to celebrate the Novus Ordo Mass — in opposition to their vocational calling to protect the TLM.

This mandate is by design, but the ICKSP is currently holding strong. Catholics all across the world must tell the faithful priests of the ICKSP that we are praying for them and raising our voices!

RAISE YOUR VOICE: PROTECT THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS FROM CENSORSHIP! >>>

Thank you for committing yourself to the frontline fight defending Catholicism from the onslaught of the Cardinal Cupich’s modernist movement. It is moments like these that Catholics from all over the world show their true colors. Stand for TRADITION. Defend the Institute of Christ the King! Send a message to Cardinal Blase Cupich!

DEFEND THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS BY SENDING A RESOUNDING MESSAGE NOW! >>>

Return to Tradition also features the LifeSiteNews article mentioned throughout this petition.

Thank you for signing this petition and sending a message to Cardinal Cupich before the end of the month deadline.

Tradition a ‘dead faith’ which needs updating

Defending his position on the “development” of morals, Francis continued by attacking those attached to “tradition.”

“I think this is very clear: a Church that does not develop its thinking in an ecclesial sense, is a Church that is going backward,” he said, describing it as “today’s problem, and of many who call themselves traditional.”

Such “people looking to the past, going backward, without roots” are sinning, he said, as “looking backward is a sin because it does not progress with the Church.”

Employing now familiar phraseology, Francis slated adherents of tradition for clinging to a “dead faith.”

Consequently, he defended the proposed “development” of morals, stating that “thinking and carrying forward faith and morals, as long as it is going in the direction of the roots, of the sap [of the tree], that’s ok. With these three rules of Vincent of Lerins that I mentioned.”

Catholic teaching on contraception

Writing in 1930, Pope Pius XI encylical Casti Connubi stated that “every use of the faculty given by God for the procreation of new life is the right and the privilege of the married state alone, by the law of God and of nature, and must be confined absolutely within the sacred limits of that state.”

He also condemned birth control, ordering that “any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin.”

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[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis on the Church’s ban of birth control: Morality is ‘always on a path of development’

Pope Francis' comments appear to lend further credence to speculation that he might soon issue an encyclical overturning the Church's ban on contraception.

Fuelling speculation about new encyclical

Tradition a ‘dead faith’ which needs updating

Catholic teaching on contraception