In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae (On the Regulation of Birth), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is making available a special 50th anniversary edition that includes reflections from succeeding popes on the prophetic teaching that honors the spiritual and sensory elements found in conjugal love.
Recognizing the fullness of the marital union as total, faithful, and exclusive, the encyclical proclaims the path of grace and true happiness for married couples under the abiding yoke of Christ. Originally published in 1968, Blessed Paul VI’s letter promotes the whole human person in the context of marital love that respects both the spiritual and physical dimensions of man and woman. Considering the human person as a whole, it also presents the practical social implications if the document’s conclusions—based on the full respect of the totality of persons—are ignored.
This 50th anniversary edition includes the full encyclical, with excerpts from Blessed Paul VI’s successors affirming the teachings of Humanae Vitae. Also included are selections from the 1968 US Catholic bishops’ statement, Human Life in Our Day.
The 50th anniversary edition of Humanae Vitae can be ordered online athttp://store.usccb.org/humanae-vitae-50th-anniversary-edition-p/7-596.htm.
