Natural Family Planning
God designed marriage as an "intimate partnership of life and love" (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). In God's design, marriage is a unique union of one man with one woman "for the whole of life" (see Canon 1055, The Code of Canon Law). Marriage is oriented to the good of the spouses and to the creation and nurture of new human life (see Gaudium et spes, no. 48). Making decisions therefore, about when and how many children to have in marriage is a sacred responsibility that God has entrusted to husband and wife. This is the foundation of what the Church calls, "Responsible Parenthood"--the call to discern God's will for your marriage while respecting His design for life and love.
The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God's design for married love. In fact, NFP represents the only authentic approach to family planning available to husbands and wives because these methods can be used to both attempt or avoid pregnancy. When learning about NFP, it is important to know that:
Natural Family Planning is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy.
NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife. (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23)
This section of the USCCB website provides information and resources that will help you to learn about the methods of Natural Family Planning and Catholic teaching which supports its use in marriage. Many of the resources here are tailored for diocesan NFP coordinators, teachers and educators.
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2018 is the 50th anniversary year of the papal encyclical, Humanae vitae written by Blessed Pope Paul VI in 1968. The encyclical provides beautiful and clear teaching about God's plan for married love and the transmission of life.
Please visit the links below for a calendar of special events offered throughout the year and helpful resources on our Humanae vitae page. Check out the videos of the historic academic symposium held at The Catholic University of America in April. And, visit our Prayer and Liturgy page for monthly prayers inspired by Humanae vitae.
The HUMANAE VITAE 50TH ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM took place at The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, from April 4-6, 2018. To learn about the topics covered, see the Agenda and Speaker Bios. Several of the presentations are available for viewing at the following link: http://livestream.com/CatholicUniversity/events/8141842. Finalized videos of all of the presentations will be available for streaming and for purchase soon.
The Symposium papers will also be published. We will post the announcement and ordering information when the book is available for purchase.
Humanae vitae 50th Anniversary Prayers page.
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Announcements
- Visit our Humanae vitae page to view 50th anniversary year events and to view resources!
- July 25, 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae. A number of activities are currently being planned by various groups (one is listed in the "Events" box below). If you are planning a celebration in your diocese, please let us know (write nfp@usccb.org). We will post all activities on a new Humanae vitae page in the near future.
- 2018 National NFP Awareness Week is July 22-28. Since 2018 is the 50th anniversary of Humanae vitae, the poster and all supportive resources will focus on major themes from the encyclical. Visit our NFP Awareness Week page to see our 2018 Poster and materials to help celebrate in your area!
- Past National NFP Awareness Week Posters. Remember that many of the past NFP posters can be used in your ongoing educational efforts since they do not include the dates of the year in which they were produced. See past posters. To order posters call toll-free: 1-866-582-0943 or write customerservice@ifcweb.com.
Please visit our education page for healthcare professionals! Remember that we have links and files of resources that can save you time and energy. We have a link to the MP4 files on an introduction to the science and methodology of NFP available from FACTS (Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science). These files provide a general overview of all NFP methods offered in the USA. In addition, PowerPoint slides with notes on the general science of NFP are available from Marquette University's NFP Institute. They have graciously donated them to us for your educational efforts!
See: NFP Education for Healthcare Professionals
Events
- May 29-June 3, the Hildebrand Project hosts their 8th annual summer seminar at Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH. Entitled, Love, Sex and the Human Person, this academic seminar will look to the philosophical anthropology of Dietrich von Hildebrand and Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II to provide a foundation for thinking about love, sex, and marriage today. Both men sought to articulate a vision of the human person at once consistent with the deepest impulses of the Christian tradition and also informed by philosophical thinking that recognized the importance of the person. Applications are now being accepted. Scholarships are available. Information and application at http://www.hildebrandproject.org/events/eighth-annual-summer-seminar-love-sex-human-person.
- August 16-19, 2018, Teen STAR teacher training workshop will be offered at the Franciscan Center, Tampa, FL. Teen STAR - Sexuality Teaching in the context of Adult Responsibility - uses experiential learning of the body's signs to facilitate discovering and "owning" one's fertility and sexuality thus supporting primary and secondary abstinence. Information and Registration at teenstarprogram@gmail.com.
More...
Resources
Minnesota Catholic Conference has available free videos on Catholic teaching on the person and human sexuality from the one-day symposium “Revisit the Catholic Vision of the Human Person.” View the talks at https://www.mncatholic.org (select the link in the scrolling images); or, go to their YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiXvsyO7_90YpY4imuBqCbg.
Culture of Encounter Podcast features a 27 minute interview with NFP pioneer, Mary Shivanandan, STD, https://soundcloud.com/user-458215614/ep-13-a-culture-of-encounter. Dr. Shivanandan discusses the profound effect of postmodernism on our understanding of the human person. She then presents an alternative, "after-modernism," which is grounded in the personalism of St. John Paul II, specifically his Trinitarian anthropology. Dr. Shivanandan’s discussion touches upon reproductive technologies, NFP, and Humanae vitae. This interesting and useful conversation centers on her article “Post-Modernism vs. After Modernism” published in the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly (Winter 2017).
NFP video series, "Marital Love and Responsible Parenthood" by Goya Productions is available in English and in Spanish at www.loveandparenthood.com. More...
Ruah Woods is offering freshman and sophomore lessons of "Called to Be More." Learn about them!
Goya Producciones created a series on Natural Family Planning which they filmed, in part, at the 2015 World Congress on NFP in Milan, Italy. Various NFP leaders from the United States are featured in the series including former executive director of the Couple to Couple League, Mike Manhart, PhD, well-known NFP researcher, Joe Stanford, MD (Utah),and Theresa Notare, PhD, Assistant Director, USCCB's NFP Program. The series is available in English and Spanish. To view a nine-minute trailer or order the series see, www.loveandparenthood.com.
The St. Augustine Foundation has a website to help you educate on NFP and Catholic teaching on human sexuality, the virtue of chastity, marriage, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. A special feature are brief courses tailored to young adults. Also included is a video of interviews with Catholic physicians. See catholicsexuality.com.
Mission of the USCCB Natural Family Planning Program
Helping couples to deepen conjugal love and achieve responsible parenthood is part of the Church's total pastoral ministry to Catholic spouses. Fulfillment of this ministry includes both education and pastoral care. This means "instilling conviction and offering practical help to those who wish to live out their parenthood in a truly responsible way" (Familiaris consortio, #35).
Permission is granted for copying and reprinting the NFP information on this website. Please cite the source of the information and unless otherwise noted, please include the following text: "Used with permission from the NFP Program, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved."
Contact Information:
Natural Family Planning Program
Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth
3211 4th Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
Email: nfp@usccb.org
Telephone: (202) 541-3240
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