Humane Vitae, 50 Years Later

Theresa Notare is assistant director of the Natural Family Planning Program, Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

"The human and societal devastation that has occurred in these last fifty years since the issuance of St. Paul VI's landmark encyclical on the regulation of human life, Humanae Vitae, have given many pause for a reassessment of a teaching once despised but more and more proving its timeless wisdom. The present volume is a treasure trove of this wisdom from deep thinkers who provide a variety of perspectives on it. Kudos to The Catholic University of America Press for an invaluable contribution to making this wisdom more readily available to a wider audience."--Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco"Humanae Vitae, like all prophetic texts, grows with time. This is why we need this book. It sheds on the encyclical a light stemming from 50 years of theological reflection, scientific research, and pastoral practice. What emerges is a horizon of hope: in the unity between the mutual gift of self and the transmission of life, there lies the sure path to follow in the urgent task of humanizing and evangelizing sexual intimacy."--Rev. Jose Granados, DCJM, Vice President of the Pontifical Institute of John Paul II (Rome) "This is an outstanding compendium, necessary reading for anyone who seeks to think seriously about the Church's rich teachings on--and the cultural distortions of--love, sexuality, and life. The expert contributors cover new ground, from fresh analyses of Humanae Vitae's teachings to the latest developments in fertility care to thoughtful explorations of the contraceptive mentality's impact on relationships, medicine, and even foreign policy. This book shows why, fifty years on, Humanae Vitae is needed now more than ever."--Mary Rice Hasson, Director, Catholic Women's Forum, Ethics and Public Policy Center