In defense of 'Humanae Vitae'

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/defense-humanae-
MGB: First the title. Michael Sean is trying to defend the undefensible, I suspect largely due to loyalty to the Church and is teaching. While he believes we are all the Church, he does not take it seriously.  I have written a book about challenging the popes when they need it, entitled The Catholic Left Responds to the Papal Anachronists.  Quite obviously, Humanae Vitae is included.

It is not the last chapter. St. John Paul makes too appearances (and because the book is an annotation and he is rather long-winded, the largest portion of the book. The CDF guidance on bioethics and the Five Dubia round out the recent entries, proving that neo-Scholastacism is alive and well in the Catholic Church, as is the belief in the infallible Magisterium and the expectation that curent popes will never change i, although this pope does not seem to fall for such nonsense.

It was not just infallibility that that failthful rebelled against, it was the sexual ethic that saw sex as a means rather than an end, which is an idealization by an asexual clergy. Asexuality is a natural state, like homosexuality, but its natives would call it objectively disordered were they at all self aware. Instead, they take its natural inclinations and its idealized view of sex and attempt to impose them on heterosexuals and homosexuals, for whom it is not natural. In prior days, most such teachings were seen by the hierarchy and the clergy. Modern communications pulled the curtain back and the laity did not like what it saw.

I do agree with both soon to be St. Paul VI and Pope Emeritus Benedict that birth control should not be used to avoid charity or the gift, although I would call it economic justice. Even natural family planning deemphasizes the need to fight for living wages, which because they are impossible in the free market for workers, must be facilitated by public policy. Pius XI, who Paul was affirming (including Pius' rather quaint view of family life), got the need for a living wage with government invo9lvement exactly right in 119-122 of Casti Connubii. 

As for perfecting our genetics, it is easy to argue against it if you have never had a congenital adrenal tumor or hypertension, bipolar disorder or alcoholism. Having had all three, I ask that you not judge what would be good for me before walking in my moccasins. While it is true that some of my accomplishments are due to my maladies, I would still rather to have not had them or have my chuildren or grandchildren have them. We are not arguing for culling the herd, just treating it if possible.

Should we celebrate Humanae?  Maybe, but not for what it did but for what it started among the faithful and the unfaithful. Until then, many people who believed in a belief in God hung around out of habit. Humanae freed them to be honest. It also freed many of us toi speak up about our Church's peculiar sexual teachings, especially those denying the priesthood to women. Francis is now moving to ordain deacons. Progresss is sweet, but the deaconate is not enough. Those who call it a gateway are correct like they are when they say letting girls serve at Mass gives them the impression they can be priests, to which I answer, yes it does and its about time.