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Family Planning

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Family Planning

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING AWARENESS WEEK JULY 20 TO 26, 2008

Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is a national educational campaign. The Natural Family Planning Program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and individual dioceses offer a variety of educational formats in the local church to focus attention on Natural Family Planning methods and Church teachings which support their use in marriage.

The dates of Natural Family Planning Awareness Week highlight the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, conjugal love and responsible parenthood. The dates also mark the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Mother. For further information, contact nfp@usccb.org.

What does the Catholic Church teach concerning family planning?

To find out more click here to read "Married Love and the Gift of Life". With this document the bishops seek to provide explanation of Catholic teaching on conjugal love and responsible parenthood in an easy to read question and answer format. As you will see, its style is informal and engaging. The intended audiences are engaged couples, married couples, and others who do not understand these Church teachings. It is meant to open the door to the hearts of couples so that God's truth can take seed. This document was three years in the making. It has been scrutinized by three committees of bishops (Pro-Life Activities, Marriage and Family Life, and Doctrine). Versions of it have been tested among engaged couples in diocesan marriage preparation programs throughout the country. Their responses have been very positive.