Calling for Contraception

A worldwide assembly of Roman Catholic laymen last week urged the Pope to let Catholic couples decide for themselves whether or not to practice birth control.

What made the recommendation something of a surprise was the nature of the group that proposed it: the Third World Congress of the Lay Apostolate in Rome, most of whose 2,900 participants are Establishment Catholics closely associated with ecclesiastical affairs. Even more striking was the fact that the plea closely followed upon a stern papal warning to the laity against seeking too ambitious a role in governing the church. Preaching at a Mass for the congress at St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Paul warned against the danger of creating "two parallel hierarchies" of clergy and laymen. "Anyone who attempts to act without the hierarchy or against it," he said, "could be compared to the branch that atrophies because it is no longer connected with the stem that provided its sap."

Undaunted, the delegates proceeded to endorse the morality of contraception, despite strong minority opposition from lay Catholics representing African and Latin American countries. Citing the "anguishing" problem of a world population explosion, the resolution expressed the "very strong feeling among Christian lay people that there is a need for a clear stand by the teaching authorities of the church, which would focus on fundamental moral and spiritual values." That stand, said the laymen, should include "leaving the choice of scientific and technical means for achieving responsible parenthood to parents acting in accordance with their Christian faith and on the basis of medical and scientific consultation."

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