Humanae Vitae Online | Week Four

"I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at human life."

- St. John Paul II's words to women from Evangelii Gaudium, paragraph 99

Week Four Recording:

Due to technical difficulties, eight minutes of the recording was cut off. We apologize for the inconvenience!

Info on Couple to Couple League:

Founded in 1971, Couple to Couple League grew from the call to minister in Humanae Vitae: “[T]here comes to be included in the vast pattern of the vocation of the laity a new and most noteworthy form of the apostolate of like to like; it is married couples themselves who become apostles and guides to other married couples” (H.V., 26).

Mission: To inspire, educate and support couples in family planning that is natural, effective, healthy and consistent with God’s plan for life, love and marriage.

For almost 50 years, CCL (ccli.org) has trained more than half a million students in the Sympto-Thermal method of Natural Family Planning and provided ongoing accompaniment and support in living out a life consistent with Theology of the Body. We have most recently expanded our mission to our Live the Love (livethelove.org) initiative which seeks to support those interested in fertility awareness to find instructions and support in the method which most matches their needs. We look forward to working with other method providers and partners to meet the growing need for true and effective support for those practicing Fertility Awareness Based Methods.