THE CATHOLIC CASE FOR CONTRACEPTION

by Daniel-Ed. Callahan ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 1969

In the wake of Pope Paul's recent Humanae Vitae encyclical, the teachings of which were so widely attacked in theory and so widely ignored in practice, many Catholic couples were faced by a private crisis of conscience. On the one hand, the supreme teaching authority of the Catholic Church condemned contraception, chemical as well as mechanical, as immoral; on the other hand, the emergent consensus of theologians, the social and economic exigencies of their situation, and often commonsense, maintained not only the legitimacy of, but even the necessity--in certain cases--for, the use of contraception. This book, under Mr. Callahan's experienced guidance, offers a solution to that dilemma by presenting ""the Catholic case for contraception"" in so clear a light as to resolve the doubts even of the most scrupulous. One by one, the authoritative contributors discuss the ""crisis"" itself and the solutions to it. The most weighty part of the book, however, is ""Part II"" in which such theological eminences as Gregory Baum and Bernard Haring record an endemic theological dissent and the reasons for it. The book does not pretend to present both sides of the question (although the encyclical itself, and the minority report of the Papal Commission are both reprinted in full); it is intended as a tool in the formation of the Catholic conscience. It does not argue that contraception should be universally and unreservedly used; it does give solid reasons for believing that contraception is licit, in certain circumstances, for Catholics. It is a well balanced, well organized work that will answer the questions and dissipate the doubts of many laymen, confessors and counselors.

Pub Date: March 31, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION