Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 But that upon good ground, these are they having with a right and good heart. Having heard the word, hold it fast and bear fruit and patience. The name of the father and the son and the Holy ghost. Amen. So we've been looking at marriage, seeing the marriage is a contract that results in relationship. We saw it. The marriage contract is very specific than a man and a woman given except a perpetual and exclusive right for acts, which are themselves suitable for the generation of children. We've seen the God attaches a consequence to making this contract. If the man and the woman validly make the contract, then the two become more closely related to each other than a father is to zone's son or that a brother, his to his sister. And that relationship is made directly by God. This relationship is perpetual. That means it lasts till death it's exclusive, which means that only that man and only that woman are involved and no one else.
Speaker 0 00:01:07 And it's limited, which means that the couple only has the right for acts, which are themselves suitable for the generation of children. By entering into marriage, God gives the spouse rights, which means that the other spouse has a corresponding duty to accept reasonable request. Last year, we reviewed this. We saw that it's a serious duty. We saw it's owed injustice to their spouse. It must be paid generously, or it's not being paid at all. We've seen it precisely because it's a serious duty to refuse to pay the debt without a serious reason is a mortal sin against justice. And it's also mortal sin against charity. Now let's briefly remind ourselves of exactly what the purpose of marriage is. God created marriage for two specific purposes. The primary purpose of marriage is the procreation education of children. That's the primary purpose of marriage, the procreation and education of children.
Speaker 0 00:02:09 There are two aspects to the secondary purpose of marriage. It's mutual help and remedy. Take a quick look at each first mutual help and comfort. God intends that man and wife help each other, not simply in household chores and training the children, but especially by mutual love and care for each other. The remedy since the fall, marriage is also remedy for concupiscence. What that means is that one of the purposes of marriage is to the legitimate quieting of the passions, but that's not simply concerned with the passions. It's also meant to express the love and intensify the union of the two personalities, the man and why. So God created marriage with two specific purposes. The primary purpose of marriage is the procreation and education of children. And the secondary purpose of marriage is the mutual help and comfort of the spouses and the remedy for concupiscence.
Speaker 0 00:03:09 We need to clearly understand these things in the first place so that we can live according to the gospel, but in the second place that we can clearly explain and effect to correct. God-given notion of marriage, to those folks that the good Lord has placed in our life. All this chaos and confusion is coming to a head. We're going to have to start paying the price for more than 40 years of cowardly silence for most of the pulpits. And most of the chanceries in these United States, it's a cowardly silence. And that's the most charitable thing one could say about it. A Carly silence, a failure to explain to the faithful, the sometimes painful truths about marriage and divorce and contraception and sterilization and perversion. It's cowardly silence as if there's no hell as if there's no hell as if there's no Hill for the people that don't follow the church's teaching these matters or for the priests and bishops that don't warn them.
Speaker 0 00:04:25 We need to pray that this Carly's silence will end. Finally, there are bishops and priests who have inherited this mess was somewhere. Find the courage somewhere, find the fortitude to speak out in the first place against the contrary central imperialism or government, but more importantly and more specially against the sins. A divorce contraception, sterilization perversion in our own ranks, which has led us to this state. There's been a Carly silence. It's time to pay the Fiddler need to pray, pray for fatherhood. Cause that's what we're missing in the church. Fatherhood. That's what this crisis is, is a lack of fatherhood. Before we go on, there's a quote from Cardinal George it's worth pondering. Carl George quote, I expect to die in bed. My successful die in prison and his success will die. A martyr in the public square close quote. I expect to die in bed. My successor will die in prison and his successful Diam water in the public square. It's a cartel. George said, I think Carlin, George, he's an optimist
Speaker 1 00:05:58 <inaudible>.
Speaker 0 00:06:04 We looked at contraception last time
Speaker 0 00:06:08 Today, we're going to consider a distorted notion sometimes associated with a practice, which is properly called periodic continence practice, which involves periodically abstaining from marital rights. This practice periodic continence is popularly known as NFP or natural family planning. A perfect example of the distorted notion to be fun and article entitled small, medium, large, extra large. What size is right for your family? The author, a certain mystery Gregory pot chick, who seems to be a devout Catholic starts by asking quote is God calling you to have another child or not. The church in her wisdom does not give a Pat answer to this question, but she does give some very simple practical advice for couples who are sincerely seeking the Lord's will about this. And some of her tips may surprise you close quote. Well, that's fair enough. Now consider the tip we find in the article quote, the best way to actually discern this question. That's the question about having another child the best way to actually discern this question on an ongoing basis is to practice NFP close quote. So what's he saying here? He's saying that if a couple is wondering whether God wants him to have another child, the best church approved method to answer his question is to practice periodic continence or NFP. Well, he warned us that some of his tips might surprise us and that one should surprise us a lot because it's completely wrong.
Speaker 0 00:07:44 It's wrong. Let's see why we refer to a 1997 article from the Vatican newspaper observatory Romano in order to see what's wrong here, the articles title will give us a clue, quote, serious motives justify couple's use of periodic continence, close quote, serious motives justify couples use a periodic continence. The article cites Pope Pius, the 12th, Pope Paul the sixth and blessed John Paul. The second because his answers are so detailed. We rely largely on the explanation of the venerable pious, the 12th. Let's make sure before we turn to the Pope that we understand the Pope is not making up any of the rules here. He actually doesn't have that kind of authority. God hasn't given anyone authority over the nature of marriage or its rules, not the couple, certainly not the state or these tinhorn judges, not the church or even the Pope. God hasn't given that authority, anyone.
Speaker 0 00:08:52 So what is the Pope doing here? The Pope is the rules not making the rules. He's explaining how God made things. In fact, everything we're going to hear from the Holy father can be reasoned out from what we already know about marriage, the marriage contract, and the purpose of marriage. Now, as usual, the klutz will be cut, pasted and edited for clarity. First point Pope Pius, the 12th quote, the moral lawfulness of practice. Periodic continence should be determined by whether or not the couple's intention is based on sufficient and worthy moral grounds. The mere fact that the husband and wife do not offend the nature of the act and are even ready to accept and bring up the child who's born. In spite of the precautions they have taken would not of itself alone, be a sufficient guarantee of a right intention and of the unquestionable morality of the motives themselves close quote, the vicar of Christ.
Speaker 0 00:10:00 The mere fact that the husband and wife do not offend the nature of the act and are even ready to accept and bring up the child who is born in spite of the precautions they have taken would not of itself alone, be a sufficient guarantee of a right intention and of the unquestionable morality of the motives themselves. So the first point is that there must be sufficient and worthy reasons to practice periodic continence and FP. We're going to get to those reasons in a moment. But before we do in the second point, the Pope is going to explain why this is true second point. Okay. Now the Pope explains why there must be sufficient and worthy reasons. Notice that the Pope's explanation is based on the marriage contract, which confers rights upon the couple, and also on the primary purpose of marriage, which is a corresponding duty of the couple of Pius, the 12th quote, the marriage contract, which gives the spouses the right to satisfy the inclinations of nature, established them in the married state, the married couple who used that state by carrying out its specific act, have the duty imposed by both nature and God, uh, providing for the conservation of the human race, the existence of the individual and the society, the people and the state, and even the church herself depends upon fruitful marriages, therefore to be married and make frequent use of the right proper and lawful only in the state of marriage.
Speaker 0 00:11:39 And at the same time to avoid his primary duty without a grave reason would be a sin against the very nature of married life, close quote, the vicar of Christ to be married and make frequent use of the right proper and lawful only in the state of marriage at the same time to vote his primary duty without a grave reason would be a sin against the very nature of married life. What are the pub? Just say that the marriage contract gives the spouses the right to the marital act and the use that ride implies a corresponding duty, which is procreation. Why in order to conserve the human race, which is the primary purpose of marriage, furthermore, the pulp notes that without serious reasons, it is a sin to frequently exercise and murder, right? While avoiding the marital duty. We're already familiar with this concept. It's our duty to go to mass on Sundays and Holy days of obligation without if we, without serious reasons.
Speaker 0 00:12:39 If we miss mass on those days we sin. But if we do have serious reasons to miss mass, then it's no sin at all. Okay. It's exactly the same concept here. Paul makes this clear Pius, the 12th, if there are serious reasons, living in the act in fertile periods can be lawful. If however, in the light of a reasonable and fair judgment, there are no such serious reasons than the habitual intention to avoid pregnancy. Well, the same time, as far as possible, continuing to fully satisfy central desires can only arise from a false appreciation of life and from reasons that have nothing to do with true standards of moral conduct, close quote, the vicar of Christ. So when serious reasons are present, periodic continence or NFP is lawful, but if there are no serious reasons, then the habitual intention to avoid pregnancy while at the same time, as far as possible, continuing to fully satisfy central desires arises from a false appropriation of life and from false standards of moral conduct.
Speaker 0 00:13:45 Now the fundamental error and mr. Popp reasoning is he clear focus by promoting the idea that the couple should continually practice periodic continence as a means of discerning whether or not to have another child. He's basically completely flipped the primer and secondary purposes of marriage as if the primary purpose of marriage is the mutual health and comfort of spouses and the revenue for concupiscence. And as if the secondary purpose of marriage is the procreation and education of children. Third point, now that the pulp has explained why a couple has to have sufficient and worthy reasons to practice in FP, periodic continence. Now I'm just going to explain what those reasons are hopeless. The 12th quote, serious motives often put forward on medical eugenic, economic and social grounds can exempt husband and wife from the obligatory positive debt of the procreation of children for a long period, or even for the entire duration of the marriage close quote, the vicar of Christ.
Speaker 0 00:14:56 The pulp has pointed out as long as the serious reasons present, the couple may legitimately be exempted from procreation, even for the duration of the marriage. Later, he points out that a couple may morally avoid procreation in one of two ways, periodic continence or total abstinence. It's important to realize that serious doesn't mean life-threatening, it must be serious. It's like we, we have to have serious reasons to miss mass on Sunday. It's the same idea in this case. So what are serious reasons? We'll give some typical examples, medical serious, real, and objective, dangerous to the physical or even psychological health of one or both partners. Usually the woman eugenic real possibility of serious incurable, hereditary defects and the child. This may last for the duration of the marriage, or it may be for a period of time. For example, when a one must undergo medical treatment with certain types of drugs that will cause birth defects, economic, this refers to true financial hardship, true financial hardship, and such a profoundly materialistic society as ours.
Speaker 0 00:16:07 This one requires brutal honesty before God, all too often in our culture, we see the trappings alive placed ahead of life itself. Social grounds. This would conclude problems in social order, like the tyrannical Chinese one child policy or natural disasters like floods, fires, uh, Wars, and so forth. So there may be serious medical, eugenic, economic, or social reasons to practice periodic continents. Now, besides a serious reason, there are a few additional conditions which also must be present in order to lawfully practice periodic continence, and at P these are really easy to understand since they flow from the marriage debt and they're rooted in the marriage contract and the purpose of marriage. First, the agreement to practice periodic continence must be truly mutual and freely agreed upon by both spouses. And although agreement must be made by both spouses together, it can be terminated by either one alone. Although the agreement must be made by most spouses together, it may be terminated by either one alone as the pulp States quote. This is because the right deriving from the marriage contract is a constant right uninterrupted in not intermittent of each of the partners in respect of the other close quote. We've already seen this. When we talked about the marriage debt second, there must be a reasonable assurance. This practice will not lead either the spouses into sin.
Speaker 1 00:17:43 Hmm.
Speaker 0 00:17:44 The more probable the danger of serious sin, more serious, the reason must be for practicing periodic continence. So in order for periodic continence, and if Peter legitimate, it must be mutually and freely agreed to by both spouses with the provision that either spouse can cancel it any time by making a reasonable request to honor the debt. And there must be reasonable assurance. This practice will not rot, assault and serious sin for either of the spouses let's review. We've seen if there are serious reasons, a couple may legitimately practice, periodic continence. And if P we've seen these serious reasons include serious and objective medical conditions with the parent, the real likelihood of serious birth defects, the child, true conditions of financial burden disturbances in the social order of like war famine. We've seen it. This practice must be mutually and freely agreed to by both spouses with the provision that either spouse can cancel it any time with a reasonable request.
Speaker 0 00:18:43 And we've seen, there must be reasonable assurances practice will not result in serious sin for either of the spouses. Now it's easy to see that the idea that NFP should be constantly used without serious reasons is actually an abuse. Are we saying then that NFP is comparable with the evils of contraception? No, because direct contraception and direct sterilization are intrinsically evil. And this is not, they're intrinsically evil, which means they're never permitted direct contraception. Direct sterilization can never, either of those can never be permitted under any circumstances, whatever, but this can be okay. All right. If it's not intrinsically evil, then are we saying to the pop check errors trivial? No, we're not, not at all. Let's be clear if we don't follow God's rules, NFP can lead to the loss of souls, not just in hell.
Speaker 0 00:19:41 What do you mean father? The loss of souls and not just in hell. What's a good question. Let's just pick a big family numbers. Say the number 10. Imagine a situation where we have someone who's. The father is the son of a tense child. Their mother is the daughter of tent shelled, and they're the child of a 10th child. So dad's a son of a Gentile. The mom's is a daughter of a chins child. He's a son of a chin 10th child with that kind of combination. If any of his immediate ancestors had continuing practice NFP, it's safe to say he wouldn't have come into existence. His soul would have been lost in a sense. It would have never come to be. It's pretty easy to see that. But I think everybody who would agree if we asked that person, he'd be the first one to tell us that he was very thankful to exist. There's thankful that his answers there's, at least we're generous and doing their duty before God. And he was thankful to have a shot at, I think everybody would agree with that. We can ask him, Hey father, are you thankful you exist?
Speaker 1 00:20:58 <inaudible>
Speaker 0 00:21:01 Hey father, are you thankful? Your ancestors were generous and doing their duty before God. Hey father, are you thankful? You least have a shot at heaven. See, I'm the son of a 10th child until the summer. I thought my mom was the daughter of a 10th child. Turns out she's a daughter of an 11th child. My dad's the son of a 10th child. He's the grandson of a 19th child. So to ask the question, yes, I'm very thankful to be here. I might've thankful to be here.
Speaker 0 00:21:46 See this stuff. Isn't just theoretical guys. Like pop shit can write articles, but there's a face on these. People are not descended from rich, powerful people that lived in big mansions. Understanding from the poor. If any of my ancestors for the past hundred and 50 years have been practicing this pop check theory instead of embracing the cross and there stayed life, I wouldn't be your priest. I wouldn't be in existence. At least four generations of my family wouldn't be in existence. And there were a lot of vocations in those generations. This stuff isn't just theoretical.
Speaker 1 00:22:34 <inaudible>,
Speaker 0 00:22:39 It's closed with some reflections from Pope. Paul has the 12 quote, one of the fundamental demands of the true moral order is that to the use of the marriage rights, there corresponds, sincere internal acceptance of the functions and duties of motherhood. It is urgent to maintain real way and stimulate the sense and love of the function of motherhood. Close quote, the vicar of Christ. He's saying this generations ago, it is urgent to maintain reawaken and stimulate the sense and love of the function of motherhood. One of the fundamental demands, the true moral order is that to the use of the marriage rights, there corresponds the sincere internal acceptance of the functions and duties of motherhood. The duties of motherhood. That's what matrimony means. Matrimony comes from a Latin phrase. Matrass Munez, which means the duty of motherhood. Have you ever noticed there's two times we all genuflect at mass during the creed last gospel. Why are we genuflecting? Because a woman, the perfect woman said yes to her duties of motherhood, Pope Pius, the 12th quote. At the moment, she understood the Angel's message. The Virgin Mary pride, the hold, the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me. According to thy word, a burning. Yes. To the call to motherhood, close quote, the Virgin. Mary gave a burning yes. To the call to motherhood, a burning. Yes,
Speaker 0 00:24:54 Let's kneel down and ask our blessed mother truly awake and stimulate the sense of love or the function of motherhood, both here and throughout the whole world. And to grant that more couples will have the grace to say a burning yes. To the call to motherhood,
Speaker 1 00:25:16 Name of the father and the son, the Holy spirit. Amen. <inaudible> name of father and son, voice spirit.
