Contraceptives are supposed to make life easier. The idea is if married couples could have sex without the possibility of becoming pregnant that their marriages would be better, easier, and last longer. Couples would be happier. Unfortunately, it does not work that way.

Since 1960, when the introduction of the oral contraceptive pill accompanied and fueled the sexual revolution, there has been an explosion in the divorce rate. There is more sex before marriage, more cohabitation, and less commitment and actual marriages than ever. People are less satisfied and less happy. Why? Is there a link to the widespread use of the Pill? How about the use of long-acting contraceptives like the IUD or sterilizations – getting your tubes tied or having a vasectomy? Each of these interventions attempts to separate the possibility of new life arising from the act of intercourse, which ultimately separates the spouses from each other and from God. These broken relationships result in misery for the persons involved.

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Imagine Thanksgiving dinner in the average American home. In addition to the food, drink, and festive décor, lively argument is often a common staple as well. In order to skirt the conflict that will likely be the result of the diversity of lifestyles present at the table, one might be tempted to make it known that certain topics are “off limits.” This typically pushes issues like faith and politics off the table.

Pope Paul VI was not the type of man that would advocate for this false sense of peace. True peace is not achieved by deciding not to talk about matters that are most central to our understanding of what it means to be a human person, or how one is to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ in the world.

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