I. Humanae Vitae’s conclusionA. “openness to procreation”

1. natural law 2. To whom is Humanae Vitae addressed?B. Can artificial birth control ever be used?

II. NFP vs. artificial contraception

vtvtBased upon the other readings for today, do you think Ann LeBlanc is a bad Catholic? Why or why not?

explore a very different view of what’s natural where artificial birth control is concerned (one more empirically oriented than Paul VI’s),

use that explanation as an example for what the Church is saying about the primacy of individual conscience, and

let Ann LeBlanc know whether she’s a bad Catholic.

“It is through … conscience that [people] see and recognize the demands of the divine law. [All are] bound to follow this conscience faithfully in all [their] activity so that [they] may come to God, who is [their] last end. Therefore, [they] must not be forced to act contrary to conscience.” (Vatican II, Declaration on Religious Liberty, §3)

“[C]onscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing the truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil.” (U.S. Bishops, Forming Citizens for Faithful Citizenship)

I. Conscience & Church TeachingA. Ann LeBlancB. Truth and Authority

II. Different perspectives on birth control: Ruether & Heaney vs. the Pope (& Everett or the Campbells)

A. On what’s natural (breadcrumbs, etc.)B. On their understanding of sex in marriage

Is Ann LeBlanc a ‘bad Catholic’?Why might Catholics disagree with/dissent from what

the Church officially teaches?Can dissent from Church teaching ever be beneficial?

Authority and TruthFr. Curran on whether the pope always speaks directly

for GodCan one’s informed conscience ever be wrong?●Are we back to relativism and the Auschwitz principle?!

Does Authority = Truth?Does Authority = Truth?

Is Authority > Truth?Is Authority > Truth?

Is Authority < Truth?Is Authority < Truth?

Pope(“the Supreme Teacher of all the faithful”)

BishopsMag

iste

rium

(teaching is “one of the principal duties of bishops”)

The Holy Spirit(the Source of Truth)