The Transmission of Life
- Section 1: God has entrusted spouses with the extremely important mission of transmitting human life.
- Section 2 : The various changes that have taken place [in modern times] are truly of great importance.
- Section 3: This state of affairs gives rise to new questions.
Competence of the Magisterium
- Section 4: The Church is competent to interpret the natural moral law.
Special Studies
The Response of the Magisterium
- Section 6: Findings have been carefully evaluated.
A Total Vision of Man
- Section 7: The whole Man must be taken into account, earthly existence and eternal existence.
Conjugal Love
- Section 8: Through mutual self-giving, spouses seek a communion of persons.
Characteristics of Conjugal Love
- Section 9: It is of the greatest importance to have an exact understanding of these.
Responsible Parenthood
- Section 10: Today's society justly calls for responsibile parenthood.
Respect for the Nature and Finality of the Conjugal Act
- Section 11: God has wisely arranged the natural laws and times of fertility so that successive births are naturally spaced.
Two Inseparable Aspects: Union and Procreation
- Section 12: The conjugal act fully maintains its capacity for [fostering] true mutual love and its ordination to the highest mission of parenthood.
Faithfulness to the Design of God
- Section 13: "Human life must be recognized as sacred by all Men" as Our Predecessor John XXIII declared, "Indeed, from its very beginning it requires the creative action of God."
Morally Impermissible Methods of Regulating Birth
- Section 14: The direct interruption of the generative process already begun must be totally rejected as a legitimate means of regulating the number of children.
Morally Permissible Therapeutic Means
- Section 15: Medical treatment is necessary for curing diseases of the body although this treatment may thwart one's ability to procreate..
The Morality of Recourse to the Infertile Period
- Section 16: When the time is not apt for conception, the couple make use of intercourse for the sake of manifesting their mutual love and maintaining their promised fidelity.
Serious Consequesces of the Use of Artificial Methods of Birth Control
- Section 17: Responsible individuals will quickly see the truth of the Church's teaching [about contraception] if they consider what consequesces will follow from the methods of contraception and the reasons given for the use of contraception.
The Church, the Guarantor of Authentic Human Values
- Section 18: By preserving the whole moral law of marriage, the Church knows that she is supporting the growth of a true civilization among Men.
The Church as Mother and Teacher
- Section 19: The Church can only conduct herself as did the Divine Redeemer; she knows mankind's weakness; she has compassion on the multitude and she forgives their sins.
The Possibility of Observing the Divine Law
- Section 20: Those who consider this matter thoroughly will see that [their] efforts [to keep God's law] increase human dignity and confer benefits on human society.
Self Mastery
- Section 21: Discipline imbues love with a deeper human meaning.
Creating an Atmosphere Favorable to Chastity
- Section 22: We need to work to create conditions favorable to the cultivation of chastity, so that the norms of the moral order might be kept and true freedom might prevail.
Appeal to Public Authorities
- Section 23: [We say to them:] Do not allow the worthy morals of your own people to be corrupted; do not allow the law to be used to introduce into the family, practices opposed to the natural and divine law.
Appeal to Men of Science
- Section 24: Let us also encourage scientists, who "are able to do much for the good of marriage and family and are able to assist peace of conscience..."
Appeal to Christian Spouses
- Section 25: Let Christian spouses humbly obey the voice of the Church and remember that their proper vocation in the Christian life began with baptism and was more fully specified and confirmed anew with the sacrament of marriage.
Apostolate of Spouses
- Section 26: To share their experience with other spouses.
To Doctors and Health Care Professionals
- Section 27: Let them constantly pursue only those solutions that are in accord with faith and right reason.
To Priests
- Section 28: It is your great and manifest mission to promote completely and clearly the teaching of the Church concerning marriage.
- Section 29: Teach spouses the indispensability of prayer; instruct them properly that they may come regularly and with great faith to the sacraments of the Eucharist and of penance and that they may never become discouraged because of their weakness.
To Bishops
- Section 30: Devote yourselves to keeping marriage safe and holy, so that the life of married couples may draw more closely to its proper human and Christian perfection.
Final Appeal
- Section 31: We now call on all men and women of good will to the splendid work of education and growth in charity.
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