Author Topic: Church Teaching Regarding Children (Read 3821 times)

d15 · « **on:** July 02, 2013, 01:24:03 PM »

Something from the "Number of kids and what people think" thread got me thinking. Am I correct in thinking the following:

1. Under normal circuмstances, a married couple should do nothing to avoid having children.

2. Under grave circuмstances, a married couple may, but is not obligated to, avoid having children by abstaining from the marital act. (NFP is for another discussion, please do not derail the thread.)

3. A married couple is never obligated to actively try to have more, or any, children, so long as the above are being followed.

Is this correct?

Napoli · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2013, 01:29:33 PM »

Perhaps if the word "grave" is defined better.

JohnGrey · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2013, 01:36:47 PM »

Quote from: d15

Something from the "Number of kids and what people think" thread got me thinking. Am I correct in thinking the following:

1. Under normal circuмstances, a married couple should do nothing to avoid having children.

2. Under grave circuмstances, a married couple may, but is not obligated to, avoid having children by abstaining from the marital act. (NFP is for another discussion, please do not derail the thread.)

3. A married couple is never obligated to actively try to have more, or any, children, so long as the above are being followed.

Is this correct?

I see nothing wrong with the first two points, though I agree with Napoli in that there has not been sufficient pastoral explication on what amounts to a circuмstance grave enough to permit retarding the fecundity of marriage through abstinence. Accepting the first two points, the third point is altogether unnecessary and, taken on its own, could damage the faith by suggesting, contrary to Catholic moral theology, that the primary purpose of the marital act is something other than generative.

3Sanctus · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2013, 01:38:19 PM »

My understanding is a couple can abstain from the marital act as long as the decision is freely consented to by both spouses. This could also be done as a form of penance/mortification.

Napoli · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2013, 01:44:04 PM »

I agree with John grey

If a couple abstains coconsensually, it's a form of NFP, which is evil.