Benedict XVI: 'Humanae Vitae' as Relevant as Ever

The Pope insists that Love and Dignity need to be defended and "The truth expressed in 'Humanae Vitae' does not change"

VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - In a society that treats the practice of sexuality like a drug, not just the concept of love needs defending, but also the dignity of the person, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope affirmed this Saturday when he received in audience participants from an international congress promoted by the Pontifical Lateran University to mark the 40th anniversary of the encyclical "Humanae Vitae."

The three-day conference ended Saturday.

Recalling that the encyclical was published by Pope Paul VI on July 25, 1968, Benedict XVI highlighted how "the document soon became a sign of contradiction," and pointed out that "it constitutes a significant show of courage in reiterating the continuity of the Church's doctrine and tradition."

"The truth expressed in 'Humanae Vitae' does not change," the Holy Father affirmed. "Quite the contrary, in the light of new scientific discoveries its teaching becomes more relevant and stimulates reflection on the intrinsic values it possesses."

The Pontiff affirmed that "in a culture suffering from the prevalence of having over being, human life risks losing its value. If the practice of sexuality becomes a drug that seeks to enslave the partner to one's own desires and interests, without respecting the times of the beloved, then what must be defended is no longer just the concept of love but, primarily, the dignity of the person. As believers we could never allow the power of technology to invalidate the quality of love and the sacredness of life."

Natural law, he said, "deserves to be recognized as the source inspiring the relationship between a married couple in their responsibility to generate children. The transmission of life is inscribed in nature and its laws stand as an unwritten norm to which everyone must refer."

Nascent life, the Pope continued, "is the fruit of a love capable of thinking and choosing in complete freedom, without allowing itself to be overly conditioned by the sacrifice this may require. From here emerges the miracle of life which parents experience in themselves as they sense the extraordinary nature of what is achieved in them and through them. No mechanical technique can substitute the act of love that husband and wife exchange as a sign of the greater mystery, in which they are protagonists and co-participants of creation."

After recalling the sad episodes that sometimes involve adolescents "whose reactions display their incorrect appreciation of the mystery of life and of the dangerous implications of their actions," Benedict XVI expressed his hope that young people "may learn the true meaning of love and prepare for it with appropriate sexual education, not allowing themselves to be distracted by superficial messages that prevent them from appreciating the essence of the truth at stake."

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"Freedom must join with truth, and responsibility with strength of dedication to others, also through sacrifice," he affirmed. "Without these principles the community of man does not develop and there is a risk of being trapped in oppressive selfishness."