Humanae vitae, a striking argument in favour of Catholicism

On July 25, 1968, Pope Paul VI published Humanae vitae. This encyclical went against the grain of the time's societal trends, in the sense that it condemned actions directly opposed to the natural purposes of sexuality. This prophetic encyclical is a clear sign that the Holy Spirit guides the Church and protects its doctrinal continuity, even in difficult times such as the sexual revolution of 1968.

Pope Paul VI / © CC0/wikimedia

Reasons to believe:

If there is one, a true religion cannot revise its doctrine down the ages, nor can it contradict itself in matters of faith and morals. The truths taught by God are immutable.

In the course of 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has not allowed herself to be swayed to one side or the other by public opinion.

The consistency of the Church's doctrinal teaching on faith and morals over two millennia, "in season and out of season", makes Catholicism even more credible.

Summary:

On July 25, 1968, in the midst of the sexual revolution and at a time when almost all Protestant churches were permitting the use of contraception, Pope Paul VI published the encyclical Humanae vitae, in which he affirmed the inseparability of sexuality and openness to the transmission of life, and condemned acts that directly go against the natural purposes of sexuality. This encyclical caused a firestorm in Western media and public opinion. At the time, some Catholic theologians had become liberal on the issue of contraception, and had opted to openly break from traditional doctrinal teachings.

Guided by the Holy Spirit (Mt 16:18; Lk 22:31-33), Pope Paul VI chose to go against the majority opinion.

If Catholicism is true, then we can expect the Church not to automatically follow modern societal trends. It is unthinkable that the true Church, founded by Christ, would be expected to embrace "the opinions of the world". On the contrary, if the Holy Spirit did not constantly guide the Church in her teaching role, she would surely have yielded on one point or another in the course of her two-thousand-year history, in order to "please the world". Yet this hasn't been the case.

Since 1930, many Protestant churches have authorised contraception, the ordination of women, divorce, homosexuality and, in some cases, abortion. These decisions are clearly driven by people seeking to fit in with the societal trends of their time.

A true religion cannot contradict itself in matters of faith and morals, since God's fundamental teachings are irrevocable. What distinguishes Catholicism from most man-made religions is precisely the idea of doctrinal continuity.

When it comes to moral teaching, the Catholic Church retains the high ground as it is the only one that has remained faithful to its doctrine in the face of immense pressure from progressive popular opinion or doxa. The official Catholic teaching is protected by the Holy Spirit, as Christ solemnly promised to his apostles that He would preserve the teaching of his Church "to theend of the age"(Mt 28:20).

Matthieu Lavagna, Catholic apologist and author of Soyez rationnel, devenez catholique!

Going further:

Why Humane Vitae Is Still Right by Janet Smith, Ignatius Press, 2018.

More information:

Video of Dr. Janet Smith, Humanae Vitae, 50 years later, 2018.
Pope Paul VI's encyclical letter on marriage and birth control, Humanae Vitae, July 25, 1968.